Antonio Conte believes his trust in the Chelsea squad paid off on Saturday as they sealed their place in The Emirates FA Cup Final.
The Blues boss decided to leave top scorer Diego Costa and creative spark Eden Hazard on the bench as they faced Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.
But when the pair were introduced in the second half, Hazard responded with the killer third goal before setting up Nemanja Matic for the fourth after Willian’s first-half brace had been cancelled out by Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
"During a season, there is a moment when a coach must make a strong decision and I had to take the risk," explained the Italian, after the game.
"Because if you win, the plan worked but if you don't then the responsibility is yours.
"Today, the plan worked very well and I am happy for the players and for me, it's a great achievement.
"We know the importance of this competition and for this reason, we celebrated a lot, but today, I also showed that I trust all of my team and my squad.”
The result means Chelsea return to Wembley for the Final on 27 May and with the Blues also in strong contention for the Premier League title, Conte is eyeing up a bumper first season in England for himself and the west London club.
"I'm proud for this achievement and it's great for the players and for me, because it's my first year in England,” he added.
"It's great to fight for the title and to reach the Final of The FA Cup.
"But I'm pleased above all for my players and for our fans, who today were great from the start until the end."
