Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of this afternoon's 131st FA Cup final at Wembley.
Chelsea and Liverpool contest for one of football's most coveted trophies at the national stadium and both clubs will feel they need a win.
Kenny Dalglish's men, despite having already claimed the Carling Cup, have had a disappointing season in the league and currently sit eighth.
Opponents Chelsea have also had a below-par league season but victory today could be followed by Champions League success for a phenomenal end to the season when they face Bayern Munich later this month.
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Thanks for joining Sports Mole for coverage of this enthralling final. Good night!
One big question that will arise is whether Carroll's header was over the line. Initial replays suggest not and if that's the case then what a save from Cech to prevent the game going to extra time. The big Czech keeper tells ITV that the ball "wasn't over the line". He adds that the victory is "fantastic" and now has his eyes on the Champions League final in two weeks.
FULL-TIME: Chelsea win the FA Cup!
Another memorable day for Di Matteo and Chelsea. They claim their fourth FA Cup in six years and seventh in their history. A goal either side of the break from Ramires and Drogba looked to have given Chelsea a comfortable victory but an impressive final half an hour from Dalglish's men means they will feel hard done by.
90+5 min: Chelsea's potential match-winner Drogba earns a free kick and the Blues will waste more seconds here. Lampard goes for goal and it's saved by Reina.
90+4 min: 21 men in the Chelsea half but Gerrard sends a horribly wasteful pass out for a goal kick. Around a minute left for the Reds.
90+2 min: Another huge chance for Carroll as Suarez flicks round the corner to find the Englishman. It's the big number 9 vs. Cech but he can only volley into the keeper's midriff.
90 min: Five minutes have been added on here. Chelsea make their second change as Mata is replaced by Malouda.
89 min: Skrtel does superbly for a centre-back down the wing to earn another corner for the Reds. The clearance falls to Johnson who smacks an effort into a Chelsea defender.
87 min: This has been a real stirling comeback from Liverpool. Skrtel finds space in the area and should do better, while his centre-back partner Agger doesn't react quick enough with the loose ball. Moments later Liverpool have a free kick right on the edge that Gerrard sends into the top of the wall. Another Liverpool corner, pressure most certainly on here.
85 min: The camera still that we've been shown so far seems to suggest that the whole of the ball hasn't crossed the whole of the line. However, it doesn't seem to stop at the furthest forward moment.
82 min: Massive moment in this year's FA Cup final. Liverpool play some lovely passing football which results in Suarez chipping for Carroll inside the six-yard box. He bullets a header that Cech claws out. Is it in? Is it out? Replays are inconclusive. If it's over then yet another big game could be ruined by the lack of goal-line technology. If not, then what a wondersave from Cech. Will be remembered as one of the all-time greats I feel.
81 min: Downing's incisive pass finds Suarez in the inside-right channel. The Uruguayan's cut back is weak but falls to Henderson, his shot is nowhere near the target though.
78 min: Chelsea under the cosh and Drogba is down injured. Surprise surprise. Another change for Liverpool as Kuyt, often a big-game player, takes the place of Bellamy.
76 min: Johnson on the other wing this time sends over a high cross for Carroll to challenge for. He again wins the header but can't get it below Cech's crossbar. Di Matteo makes his first change as opening goalscorer Ramires is replaced by Meireles.
75 min: Chelsea really need to steady the ship here. Ramires gives away another pass and then is beaten too easily by Enrique. Carroll rises highest to meet the left-back's cross but his header is way over the bar.
73 min: First real shot for Suarez who cuts inside from the left, delays pulling the trigger twice before trying to beat Cech at his near post. The Czech keeper is up to the task and palms the ball out for a corner, from which nothing results.
70 min: 'Fields of Anfield Road' is reverberating round Wembley now. Liverpool continue to push on and Carroll's header loops for captain fantastic Gerrard to volley. He can't deliver on this occasion and smacks the ball almost out of the stadium.
67 min: Carroll's really turning this game around at the moment. He holds up play before dinking to an unmarked Bellamy on the wing. The Welshman's cross is flicked clear as Liverpool continue to build pressure. Not another Istanbul from the Anfield boys surely?
64 min: GOAL! Carroll pulls one back for the Reds!
Hello. Downing slides in on Bosingwa near the byline and the ball ricochets to Carroll in the area. He faces up to John Terry, shifts on to his left and blasts into the roof of the net. Top stuff from the big man.
63 min: Neat interplay from Chelsea opens up an angled opportunity for Drogba but he volleys wide.
62 min: Suarez clips Drogba's ankle as the striker was about to pull the trigger. Free kick for the Blues about 35 yards out. Lampard hits it well enough but it drifts wide of Reina's left-hand post.
59 min: A bit of showboating from Ramires and Drogba results in the former breaking clear of the Liverpool midfield. He feeds Lampard, who in turn finds Kalou. His shot is wayward though.
58 min: With that goal Drogba becomes the first player to score in four different FA Cup finals. Fair play to the boy.
56 min: Really looks like Chelsea could get another goal on the counter as Liverpool search for a way back into the game. This time it's Mata who finds space and tries a delicate chip that Reina anticipates to catch easily.
54 min: Suarez bursts into the area and fizzes over a cross that Cech blocks away as Liverpool look for an instant response. Kenny makes his first change as Carroll enters the fray in place of Spearing.
52 min: GOAL! Wembley specialist Drogba puts Chelsea two up!
Great finish from the Ivorian to double the Blues' lead. Lampard skips past Spearing far too easily and feeds Drogba. He faces up to Skrtel before drilling low across Reina to the delight of the blue half of Wembley. Game over?
51 min: Gerrard gets the better of England teammate Lampard and tries to beat the next man but overruns the ball. Downing then beats Bosingwa to get in a deep cross that Henderson heads back across goal. There's no Liverpool player there to meet it though.
49 min: Cole, again surging forward, wins a corner for the Blues. Lampard to take and it's a good delivery that is met by the boot of Terry, who is penalised, rather harshly, for a foul on Skrtel. A classic 'six-of-one, half-a-dozen of the other' for me.
47 min: Early chance for Chelsea as Cole enters the Liverpool area but is arguably too unselfish in trying to square to a teammate.
46 min: No changes for either side. If things stay as they are, Chelsea will lift their fourth FA Cup in six years.
HALF-TIME: So Chelsea lead thanks to Ramires's 11th minute strike. I'd say the Blues had had the better of the play up to the half-hour mark but Liverpool have controlled in the final 15 of the period. Will we see Andy Carroll after the break to offer more potency up front for the Reds? See you in 15.
45 min: A spell of prolonged, patient Liverpool possession ends with Agger misplacing a pass before rashly following through on Mikel to level the scores in terms of bookings. One minute added on in the first half at Wembley.
41 min: Probably the best chance for Liverpool as Henderson beats Cole to a header and finds Suarez but the Uruguayan is a little surprised and his header sails harmlessly wide.
39 min: Drogba tries to do better than Lampard from range but he also drags it wide. Up the other end, Cole clears out for a corner from a dangerous cross. Cech makes one dodgy punch but it falls safe.
37 min: Mikel catches Gerrard late with a sliding challenge and Dowd makes the Nigerian the first name on his yellow card.
35 min: Kalou nudges over Johnson to give away a silly free kick. This time Gerrard will try to send over a perfect delivery. Skrtel wins the header but he began his run in an offside position, basic error from the Reds' hard man.
34 min: Drogba comes up against Downing in the box, you'd think it's a mismatch but the English winger deals with the imposing Ivorian.
32 min: Enrique dives in a little late on Ramires and Chelsea have a free kick right of centre. Perfect for Mata, whose delivery is usually spot-on, but his curled centre is cleared away.
29 min: A speculative Lampard effort from fully 30 yards bobbles harmfully wide.
26 min: Agger advances forward and is found in the area but his cross on-the-stretch is gathered by Cech.
24 min: Kalou almost beats about five men to open up a shooting opportunity but he's denied at the last minute by Agger. Chelsea in the ascendency as we pass the midway point of this opening 45.
22 min: Just seen another replay of Reina's attempt to stop the Ramires shot. Weak, at best. In support of Ramires, he's scored some huge goals for Di Matteo, most notably that sublime lob at the Camp Nou.
19 min: Kalou fizzes a ball into Lampard but the Englishman's first touch is little loose and Skrtel is able to clear.
16 min: Dodgy moment for Reina, who really should have stopped the goal, as the Spaniard almost fumbles an overhit Ramires cross.
15 min: A little desperate from Suarez, who tries to replicate his long-ranger against Norwich by shooting from inside the centre circle. Nowhere near beating Cech on this occasion.
13 min: Mata almost breaks away but is stopped by a superb Gerrard sliding challenge. Liverpool respond well though and almost equalise! Johnson whips over a dangerous ball from the right which loops to Bellamy. His volley is cleanly hit and blocked away off the line by Ivanovic.
11 min: GOAL! Ramires puts Chelsea ahead!
It's all Liverpool's own doing as Spearing gives the ball away to Mata. The playmaker feeds Ramires who typically breaks clear of the attentions of Enrique before beating Reina at his near post. The Spanish stopper will have expected to do more there.
9 min: Suarez is hounding down Cech and the Blues keeper clears a couple of balls straight out of play. Nervous opening from both teams.
7 min: Drogba almost feeds Kalou but the ball is intercepted by Skrtel. Liverpool are gonna have to look to get the ball on the deck and find Suarez when he peels into pockets of space. The little Uruguayan isn't gonna win any aerial battles against Terry and Ivanovic.
5 min: Cagey opening five following the Drog's one and only shot of the encounter. Nothing to choose between the sides early on.
1 min: Drogba wins an early header and Lampard returns to the Ivorian who tries an outrageous long-range volley. He's good at Wembley, but not that good.
1 min: Today's referee Phil Dowd counts up 22 men and blows his whistle. The 131st FA Cup final is underway.
17.12: Now for the national anthem. All the English Chelsea players sing while Henderson is the only Red to join in. The players shake hands and we're just about ready to get underway.
17.10: England legend Jimmy Armfield is introduced to both sets of players as we hit T-five minutes.
17.09: The famous trophy is brought out onto the pitch and it's followed by both sides who are led out by their respective managers.
17.08: Terry and Gerrard stand side-by-side, eyes fixed on the Wembley tunnel's exit.
17.06: Time for Abide with Me, a classic FA Cup song. Not long now.
17.00: So, just a quarter of an hour until we get underway. Questions going through my head right now: Can Liverpool's defence handle the Drog? Can Stevie G produce a typically-talismanic performance? We'll soon find out.
16.52: In League One Sheffield Wednesday have been promoted to the Championship. The Owls kept their nerve to defeat already-relegated Wycombe Wanderers and seal promotion. Their rivals United have just conceded a late equaliser at Exeter, although it makes little difference. They'll be playing in the playoffs.
16.50: Dalglish, speaking to ITV, admits it's always difficult to pick a side for a cup final. His counterpart Di Matteo says it's "unfortunate" for Torres that he hasn't earned a starting berth. The Italian reveals that Drogba's Wembley track record was one of the factors that gave the Ivorian the nod.
16.40: Coming up to the final ten minutes or so of the League One and Two final day. Keep up with who's up and who's down with us by clicking here.
16.37: Both teams come out for their pre-match warm up. Around 40 minutes until kick off.
16.27: Quick League One update for you and it looks like Wednesday are to secure the final automatic promotion spot. They're two-up in front of 38,082 Hillsborough fans - an impressive turnout for a third-tier encounter. The Owls' rivals United will have to go through the playoffs to join Wednesday in the Championship.
16.24: Footage of Fabrice Muamba walking out onto the Wembley turf. What a story it is that he's walking again, so soon after his cardiac arrest.
16.12: Surprising that Bellamy starts, he's struggled for a place in Dalglish's XI of late but he is a quality player. Here's a stat that may worry the Merseysiders: Didier Drogba has scored in all five of his domestic cup final appearances for Chelsea. Ominous eh?
Full lineups:
Chelsea: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Lampard, Mikel, Ramires; Mata, Kalou, Drogba
Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Agger, Skrtel, Enrique; Gerrard, Spearing, Henderson, Downing, Bellamy; Suarez
16.05: The teamsheets are in. Drogba ousts Torres and will be joined by Mata and Kalou up top for the Blues. For the reds, Suarez starts on his own in attack and will be supported on the wings by Downing and Bellamy.
16.00: The Liverpool men are out on the pitch in their suave suits getting a taste for the Wembley arena. 75 minutes to kickoff.
15.51: Half-time in the lower leagues where Wednesday still lead 1-0 and look set to seal promotion to the Championship. Down in Exeter, United have had James Beattie sent off but have equalised against Exeter. A point would be enough for the Blades if Wednesday lose, that outcome's looking unlikely though.
15.48: Both teams have just arrived at Wembley. Di Matteo looks composed, what a feat it would be for the interim boss to lead the Blues to cup glory. If he was to go on and win the Champions League he'd have to be given the full-time post, surely?
15.43: Some breaking news from today's only Premier League game at Arsenal where Norwich snatched a 3-3 draw. France's Bacary Sagna has broken his fibula and will miss this summer's European Championships.
15.35: Key decision for both managers in attack today. Will Di Matteo, who scored a goal for Chelsea in their 1997 Cup win against Middlesbrough, select Wembley-specialist Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres or both? While for Dalglish, Luis Suarez is bound to start but will he be joined by Andy Carroll to spearhead the Reds' forward line? Team news to follow...
15.25: Goal at a fully-packed Hillsborough for Wednesday! Michail Antonio puts the Owls ahead and there's a double blow for United as Exeter take the lead at St. James Park. Looks like the blue half of Sheffield will be guaranteed Championship football come this evening.
15.20: Hello all, a little under two hours from kickoff at Wembley now. In that time I'll bring you team news, views and anything worth noting. I'll also provide updates from the final day in Leagues One and Two, with the main talking point being the battle between the two Sheffield clubs for the final automatic promotion spot in League One. Both Wednesday and United are midway through the opening halves of their ties, with the former hosting Wycombe while United travel to Exeter. Any win for Wednesday would see them return to the Championship, while United can leapfrog their Steel City rivals if they fail to collect three points. Both games goalless as it stands.
Pascal Lemesre
