Frank Lampard hailed his Chelsea players for the character they showed to blow away Manchester United and set up an all-London FA Cup Final against Arsenal.
Chelsea beat United 3-1 in their semi-final at Wembley on Sunday evening and Lampard said he was proud of his young side after arguably their best display since he took over at Stamford Bridge.
There have been questions regarding whether Chelsea have enough leaders after they lost 3-0 at Sheffield United two weeks ago, but Lampard praised his players for the way they implemented his three-man defence at Wembley and the “personality” they showed.
He said: “I am very proud. I cannot ask for any more than that. We played with a system that we have not played with for a while. We did everything that I asked of them.
"Some things you cannot always control but when you see the team come out and run, the wing-backs jump up to get close to people, midfield players get close to people . . . I am very proud.
“Leaders come in all forms, and it's not like the old eras of dressing rooms, you cannot compare across eras. Some of our players need to stand up, whether it is more with their performance than their voice sometimes.
"Today it was a performance full of character and personality, which after Sheffield United you could not say. So to do that against Manchester United, I am delighted.
“To change the system, we had a lot of information and a lot of work done over the last few days. You are only as good as your players, and they all deserve huge credit. They kept going right to the end against a top side. I am proud to be in the final.”
Chelsea will play Arsenal in the FA Cup Final on August 1. Before then, they face Liverpool and Wolves as they bid to secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
“I watched the Arsenal game,” Lampard said. “We know the way they are playing, the manager they have. The fact it’s a London derby, the fact it’s a final, it is big game and is going to be tough.
"We are at the business end now and we want top four and a trophy.”