17th May 1997. Chelsea 2 Middlesbrough 0, FA Cup Final.
After 27 years of waiting, Chelsea finally regained the FA Cup they had last won in 1970.
It was a chance to put right the agony of three years previously, when Chelsea had been beaten by Manchester United in the 1994 final by the slightly harsh scoreline of 4-0.
It couldn't have started any better for Chelsea. Roberto Di Matteo gave Chelsea the lead after just 42 seconds, a record for a Wembley Cup final at the time. It was a beautiful dipping drive from 35 yards right over the head of the 'Boro keeper Ben Roberts.
Middlesbrough pushed for an equaliser in the second half but Chelsea stood firm. Then in the 83rd minute, a cross from the right by Dan Petrescu, a flick back across the six-yard area from Gianfranco Zola and Eddie Newton storming in to score. Redemption for the man who had given away a penalty in the 1994 final.
This was a big moment for Chelsea's modern history. Chelsea were able to shake off their nearly rans tag and was the catalyst for the greater success that was to follow.
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