A Moment In Time – Tielemans' Slow-Motion Wembley Stunner Deconstructed
The 1.12 seconds it took for the ball to rocket off his boot, from 30 yards out, past Kepa Arrizabalaga and into the net is now etched into folklore. In terms of singular moments in time across Leicester City’s entire 139-year history, few can rival its significance or indeed its magnificence.
Two saves from Kasper Schmeichel late on in the clash with Chelsea and the wait for VAR’s salvation in added time, which felt like hours, are certainly up there too. But it seemed, certainly from a Leicester perspective, like Tielemans’ 63rd-minute classic was written in the stars.
It wouldn’t have been possible if not for a loan swoop on 31 January, 2019. Claude Puel was the City manager then and it was the Frenchman’s former club, AS Monaco, which provided Tielemans’ services, initially for a brief loan spell until the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
Some 835 days later, the Sint-Pieters-Leeuw-born midfielder, by then a full-time Fox for almost two years, had every member of the Club’s fanbase – whether at Wembley or otherwise – leaping for joy. A 137-year wait for an FA Cup crown was finally at an end.
Moments such as these often seem, certainly to supporters, as though they transpire in slow motion. Just ask anyone who was in the crowd, beneath the Twin Towers of the old Wembley, when Steve Claridge’s volley glided through the air in the 119th minute of the 1996 First Division Play-Off Final.
It was a goal defined by ‘sliding doors’ moments. Had any tiny detail occurred differently, it may never have happened at all. The first such instance came when Çağlar Söyüncü’s simple pass momentarily caught out then team-mate Wesley Fofana, positioned just inside the centre circle.
The ball pings wildly off the young Frenchman’s inner ankle. Mercifully, Fofana’s agility and Timo Werner’s loose press ensured it wasn’t to be the first act of a Chelsea counter attack. Leicester were high up the field and it would have taken a heroic defensive intervention or super Schmeichel save to halt it.
Fofana is able to compose himself and tee up Timothy Castagne, on the right, to chip it forwards. The ball, however, bounces awkwardly. If Blues centre-back Thiago Silva was any less than 5ft 11in in stature, it would have freed up Jamie Vardy, who was typically on the prowl off his right shoulder.
City’s No.9 was waiting for an error which didn’t arrive, but despite Kepa also being admirably alert to the potential danger, you wouldn’t bet against Vardy getting there first. Maybe he’d have scored if Silva hadn't got there, or maybe not, but we’ll never know.
In the end, Silva is able to arch his back and not only prevent an immediate goalscoring opportunity, but also settle himself and offload the ball to Jorginho, who in turn gives it to Reece James, on the angle of the 18-yard box.
You don’t win games without making ambitious passes, exposing tiny gaps in the opposition’s armour, but James is about to underestimate Ayoze Pérez’s high press. The Chelsea defender was trying to play former City midfielder N’Golo Kanté into a pocket of space and get the Blues on the front foot.
Instead, he finds Pérez’s thigh in his way. Again, the ball could have landed anywhere, but it falls perfectly to the feet of Luke Thomas, afforded room by Kanté anticipating a pass which never came his way. There was a delayed reaction from Chelsea's players, too, as they appealed for handball.
That gives Thomas, just 19 years-old in the biggest game of his life, the opportunity to gallop forwards. Pérez’s role wasn’t finished either as the Spaniard sheltered Thomas from the advance of Jorginho.
Chelsea’s back four remains solid, but their midfield is scattered. If anything, Thomas’ pass to Tielemans is marginally too close to Leicester’s No.8, who may have preferred it just in front of him, but he nevertheless takes it on with a smart touch and opens his body up.
He then takes the briefest of glances up to assess his surroundings and, from that moment on, his head is down. He knows exactly where he is, where Chelsea’s defenders are and where he needs to put the ball if the idea which has just popped into his head is about to pay off.
His second touch commutes the ball a little further forward and his third is the touch. It’s at this moment Silva decides to leave marshalling Vardy to James and tries to hurl his body in the way. There’s not enough time though. History is already in motion.
Struck with the laces, it’s a truly world-class hit from Tielemans, but Kepa actually very nearly gets a fingertip to it. Surely its sheer power would have been enough to beat him in that event anyway, but the 6,000 or so City fans behind the goal weren’t considering the margins.
After over a year of following from home, due to the various lockdowns and empty-stadia regulations enforced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were there to witness one of the greatest ever FA Cup final goals in person – scored by a Leicester City player at Wembley.
Mothers, sons, fathers, daughters, friends and strangers were all propelled from their seats in an instant. Youri Tielemans’ Leicester City journey started on deadline day in January 2019 and it had all been leading to a truly magical moment none of us will ever forget. One of the greatest in FA Cup history.