The 2018 FA Cup final takes place between Chelsea and Manchester United on Saturday with both sides looking to secure their first silverware this season. A win for United would see them equal Arsenal’s record of 13 FA Cup final victories while a win for Chelsea would be their eighth overall and fifth in the last 12 seasons.
If Chelsea are to win Eden Hazard is likely to have an influential role in a midfield battle against his old team-mate Nemanja Matic. The pair spent three-and-a-half years together at Stamford Bridge between January 2014 and July 2017 before Matic departed for Old Trafford.
Eden Hazard’s goal involvement
| Season | Goals | Assists | Total | Mins per involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/13 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 141 |
| 2013/14 | 17 | 8 | 25 | 158 |
| 2014/15 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 148 |
| 2015/16 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 237 |
| 2016/17 | 17 | 7 | 24 | 140 |
| 2017/18 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 130 |
In all competitions this season Hazard leads Chelsea in goals (16) and assists (12) and has the best minutes-per-goal involvement (every 130 mins) in any of his six seasons at the club.
If United are to contain Hazard, Matic is likely to play a key role against his former side. In the first season since his £40m move, Matic has been one of the first names on Jose Mourinho’s team-sheet. No player has made more starts for the club this season.
Nemanja Matic in 2017/18
| Category | Total | Man Utd rank |
|---|---|---|
| Passes | 2601 | 1st |
| Successful passes | 2281 | 1st |
| Passes in opposition third | 1358 | 1st |
| Passes into final third | 333 | 1st |
| Touches | 3117 | 1st |
| Recoveries | 317 | 1st |
| Tackles | 70 | 1st |
| Interceptions | 64 | 1st |
| Distance covered | 409 km | 1st |
In the Premier League, Matic topped the charts for Manchester United in a number of statistical categories, making more passes, having more touches and running further than any of his team-mates.
One category where Matic particularly excels is ball recoveries. Of outfield players in the Premier League this season only Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure (345) made more ball recoveries, while since his return to English football with Chelsea in 2014 he has made more ball recoveries than any other outfield player.
Since Nemanja Matic’s return in January 2014
| Player | Ball recoveries |
|---|---|
| Nemanja Matic | 1228 |
| Mark Noble | 970 |
| N’Golo Kante | 913 |
| Gareth Barry | 897 |
| Steven Davis | 886 |
As both teams look to avoid a season without silverware, the battle between Hazard and Matic could go a long way to deciding the destiny of the trophy.
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