By Henry Vinter | 1 March 2053
Chelsea 4–1 Walsall
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 89,305
Scorers: Jairzinho (4’), Crichton (35’, 62’, 72’) | Hudlin (59’)
🏆 Chelsea Lift the Cup in Style
Under grey skies at Wembley, Chelsea reaffirmed their domestic dominance by claiming the Carabao Cup with a 4–1 win over Walsall. The scoreline, while emphatic, could hardly capture the poise and polish of their performance. Scott Crichton, the game’s undoubted protagonist, delivered a hat-trick on the grandest domestic stage.
Jairzinho’s blistering volley gave Chelsea a fourth-minute lead, setting the tone for an afternoon defined by control and incision. Crichton doubled the advantage before half-time with a low drive that deflected in off a desperate Walsall leg.
Though Walsall briefly threatened a revival — Trovarn Hudlin tucking home on 59 minutes — Crichton extinguished any hope with a composed penalty shortly after. His third arrived via a firm strike into the far corner, completing the first hat-trick in a League Cup final since the late 2030s.
🌟 Crichton’s Crowning Moment
Crichton, whose influence has steadily grown this season, produced a performance of rare clarity. Five shots on target, 12.9km covered, and a final rating of 9.2 — but numbers don’t quite reflect the rhythm he gave Chelsea’s attack. His movement, always measured, proved too elusive for a Walsall side that found themselves chasing shadows by the hour mark.
📉 Walsall’s Journey: A Run for the Ages
For Walsall, the 4–1 final defeat will sting, but it should not overshadow a campaign of defiance and progress. From League One, they navigated seven rounds of cup football, knocking out Championship and Premier League sides alike — including Aston Villa and Bournemouth — en route to Wembley.
The Saddlers showed resilience in penalties against Villa, character in their semi-final second leg comeback, and a rare unity across the season. They had not reached a domestic cup final in decades — and did so playing front-foot football, scoring 19 goals along the way. This run, by any measure, stands as a landmark in the club’s modern history.
📊 Match Stats
- Shots: Chelsea 25 – 1 Walsall
- xG: 3.83 – 0.10
- Possession: Chelsea 74% – 26% Walsall
- Passes Completed: Chelsea 534 – 184 Walsall
📘 Historical Note
This victory marks Chelsea’s 17th Carabao Cup title — extending their all-time record in the competition. Their cup pedigree is unparalleled in the modern era, with this final delivering yet another chapter in an increasingly one-sided legacy.
🧠 From the Author
For Chelsea, the victory was almost ritual. For Walsall, it was a page turned in a proud history. Football offers few level playing fields — but it does, on occasion, offer stages. Walsall stepped onto theirs with courage, and left it with heads high.