18:30
A tough day for the Eagles but they have done the club proud – read our match report HERE.
18:28
Patrick Vieira leads the players around the edge of the field, as they show their appreciation for the fans who stuck with them all the way.
What a display the supporters put on today.
18:23
This is some sight.
The Palace fans are waving red and blue flags and creating a cacophony of noise as they applaud their players off the field.
Chelsea may have triumphed on the pitch, but Wembley is a wall of red and blue noise.
FULL-TIME
Chelsea 2-0 Palace
It wasn’t to be for the Eagles this afternoon.
They held Chelsea well in the first-half and went in at the break having played the better of the two sides, but in the end the European champions had just too much.
It will be Chelsea v Liverpool in the final, but Patrick Vieira’s men can be proud of their FA Cup exploits this season.
90+1 mins:
Great save from Butland.
Rudiger bursts into the penalty area and tries his luck, but the Palace ‘keeper gets down well to push it away.
CHANCE!
90 mins:
Somehow it’s still 2-0.
Lukaku is free on a few yards out with an open goal to aim at, but can only hit the post. Ziyech tries to complete the job for him, but Palace get bodies in the way and keep it out.
There will be three minutes of added time.
88 mins:
Lukaku cuts the ball back into the area for a teammate, but a fresh-air shot lets Palace off the hook.
87 mins:
Chelsea break away through Timo Werner, but Joel Ward comes steaming back to get a vital foot in and regain possession.
85 mins:
Five minutes to go at Wembley – can Palace end this one on a high?
SUBSTITUTION
83 mins:
Kouyaté’s race is run, and Luka Milivojevic replaces him.
SUBSTITUTION
81 mins:
Andreas Christiensen trudges off, and on comes Thiago Silva in his place.
80 mins:
Ayew advances down the left and creates space for the shot, but the block comes off him before going behind for a Chelsea goal-kick.
79 mins:
The Palace fans at Wembley are doing a remarkable job of backing the team.
Two goals down with ten minutes remaining, they are still far outsinging their Chelsea counterparts and stadium is a wall of noise from the end in red-and-blue.
CHANCE!
77 mins:
What a chance for Palace!
The ball breaks kindly for Kouyaté on the edge of the area, but his first touch is loose and Chelsea clear.
From the resulting corner the flick-on reaches Joachim Andersen unmarked at the far post three yards out, but he heads over the crossbar.
SUBSTITUTION
76 mins:
Chelsea made a triple switch in the aftermath of that goal.
Havertz, Jorginho and Mount were withdrawn, with Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and N’Golo Kante taking their palces.
GOAL
76 mins: Chelsea 2-0 Palace (Mount)
Just as Palace were really knocking on the door, Chelsea apply what could be the killer blow.
It’s a well-worked goal on the break, with Mason Mount hovering on the edge of the area. As he is slipped in, his first touch takes him into space and he has time to slot coolly past Butland.
74 mins:
Much better from Palace!
They look a real threat coming forwards now, and Zaha is found in the area but can’t get his cross onto the head of a teammate.
Olise is next to have a go, forced back by a wall of yellow shirts.
72 mins:
How much have Palace missed him?
Olise’s first involvement is to round his man and slip an inventive ball into the area towards Zaha, which James is forced to hack away for a throw-in.
Substitution
71 mins:
Jeffrey Schlupp and James McArthur are withdrawn, to a standing ovation from the Palace faithful.
Olise and Benteke emerge to massive cheers – what can they do to turn this game around?
69 mins:
Palace are preparing a double change in response to that goal.
Michael Olise and Christian Benteke are stripped off and ready to enter the fray.
GOAL
65 mins: Chelsea 1-0 Palace (Loftus-Cheek)
Chelsea are ahead, and it’s unfortunate for Palace.
Werner does well to make his way into the penalty area, but his cross is blocked – it falls for Loftus-Cheek on the edge of the area, who slams into the top corner on the half-volley.
It’s an excellent finish under pressure. The Eagles will have to do it the hard way.
CHANCE!
60 mins:
The best chance of the game, from the resulting corner.
It’s an excellent ball in, and Kouyaté is free to rise highest and head goalwards. He doesn’t make a clean connection, however, and it comes off a combination of his head and shoulder and trickles agonizingly wide.
For a moment, the Palace fans behind the goal thought they had the lead.
59 mins:
…but when you’re a player like Wilfried Zaha, you can do it all on your own.
Kouyaté steps into midfield to win the ball back superbly, and plays Zaha in on the right. The forward twists and turns away from attentions of the defender, finding a yard to get a dangerous ball in that has to be headed behind.
57 mins:
Patrick Vieira has set his side up to weather this Chelsea storm here.
The Eagles are playing with two banks of four, with Eze slightly more advanced and Zaha on his own in attack.
Substitution
55 mins:
Jean-Philippe Mateta makes way, to be replaced by Jordan Ayew.
Wilfried Zaha has moved into a central role, supported by Eze and Ayew on either side.
54 mins:
Marc Guéhi at his best.
With Havertz waiting to receive the ball, the Palace man gets in first to nick the ball away before winning a free-kick for his troubles.
52 mins:
Palace are preparing their first change, with Jordan Ayew stripped and ready to come on on the touchline.
In the meantime, the Eagles have a free-kick halfway inside the Chelsea half, but Kouyaté’s header loops into the hands of Mendy.
51 mins:
Chelsea are probing away, and almost find an opening.
Loftus-Cheek slips a through ball towards Werner in the area, but a combination of Kouyaté and Butland smother the ball away.
From the next attack, Rudiger fires over the crossbar from distance.
50 mins:
Chelsea are probing away, and almost find an opening.
Loftus-Cheek slips a through ball towards Werner in the area, but a combination of Kouyaté and Butland smother the ball away.
From the next attack, Rudiger fires over the crossbar from distance.
47 mins:
Early pressure for Palace to withstand here, but they are not short of backing from the fans at the other end.
Mount’s shot goes well over the crossbar.
46 mins:
Chelsea are seeing far more of the ball in the opening exchanges of the second-half. Christiensen and Reece James exchange passes before launching a first attack, which is headed clear by Joel Ward.
KICK-OFF
45 mins:
We're back underway...
17:33
The teams are back out - Palace will be kicking towards their own fans in this second-half.
Everything to play for.
