Ralf Rangnick has described the evolution of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp as "no coincidence" – because his own career has involved developing a number of their key talents.
The Manchester United interim boss, whose future beyond the end of this season appears unclear, can point to a host of Liverpool players and say he had an important role in their careers.
Rangnick, 63, is regarded as one of football's best strategists, and during his various roles with the Red Bull group, which includes RB Leipzig and Salzburg, he helped to bring through the likes of Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Takumi Minamino.
Before that, he was coach when Hoffenheim signed Roberto Firmino from Figueirense, albeit leaving within weeks of that deal being agreed, while Rangnick coached Joel Matip at Schalke.
It is remarkable, therefore, that Rangnick has ended up in charge of Liverpool's most fierce rivals, whom United will face at Anfield in the Premier League on Tuesday.
"They are good, they are extremely good. It's no coincidence that they're as good as they are," Rangnick said of Liverpool.
"Jurgen has built that team over the last six and a half years. Six or seven of those players used to be my – or our – players."
Klopp's Liverpool play a similar high-tempo game to the Leipzig and Salzburg teams that Rangnick oversaw, meaning the players acquired have been a natural fit for Klopp's Reds.
"We signed them for our clubs when nobody knew them," said Rangnick, "and again it's no coincidence that this is probably the club with the highest number of players from our former clubs.
"Their approach, their style of football, the way they want to play is pretty similar."
Rangnick's United side beat Norwich City 3-2 on Saturday in the Premier League thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, and it vaulted them to fifth place in the table.
That treble papered over some rather major cracks, however, and Rangnick warned afterwards there would need to be a big improvement against Liverpool.
United were chaotic at times, particularly in defence, and Rangnick said: "Even the reason why the club contacted me in November was the fact we just conceded too many goals too easily.
"We reduced the number of goals conceded, but the way that we defend is still not the standard we need in order to be a top-four club."
Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged Real Madrid are "close" to sealing the league title after a dramatic comeback win over Sevilla on Sunday.
Sevilla looked to be breathing life back into LaLiga's race for first place when they found themselves 2-0 up thanks to goals from Ivan Rakitic and Erik Lamela.
However, referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez's decision not to issue a second yellow card and send off Eduardo Camavinga for a heavy challenge late in the first half would have significant ramifications.
Camavinga was withdrawn for Rodrygo at half-time and the Brazilian quickly made an impact, pulling one back with a smart finish early in the second half.
Nacho Fernandez levelled for a dominant Madrid eight minutes from time and then Karim Benzema sealed the win that surely puts them out of reach in stoppage time.
Even if Barca win their two games in hand, Madrid will be nine points clear and their run-in looks relatively kind, with only Atletico Madrid and Real Betis likely to cause them significant bother.
As such, head coach Ancelotti recognised Madrid are almost at the finish line.
He told LaLiga TV: "No, it's not over, but it's really close.
"Everyone is waiting for the defeat of Real Madrid, but we are still on fire."
Despite the drama of the contest, Ancelotti cut a composed figure at full-time – though he stressed that was more down to mental fatigue than being relaxed.
"It looks normal because I'm so tired! I suffered a lot," he said with a smile. "I need time to recover."
Madrid have made a habit of comebacks in recent months, particularly in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Sunday was the latest impressive example and, elaborating on what is leading to these turnarounds, Ancelotti added: "The history of this club, the quality of the players and their sense of belonging, they feel something special when wearing the shirt. It's nothing new for Real Madrid and I think this is the reason."
One moment of second-half controversy looked set to cost Madrid when Vinicius Junior controversially had an equaliser disallowed for handball as the ball struck the top of his arm.
While it ultimately mattered little in the grand scheme, Ancelotti was keen to reveal his bemusement at the decision.
"We thought the same," he replied when it was put to him that the decision was harsh.
"As a supporter, I didn't understand why the goal of Vinicius was disallowed, it was not handball.
"I know it's really difficult to judge this kind of situation, but I think it was quite clearly a goal."
A Classique by name but certainly not by nature, Paris Saint-Germain took a step closer to the inevitable eighth Ligue 1 title of the QSI era thanks to goals from Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Predictably, Lionel Messi's name did not feature on the scoresheet. Predictably, Neymar's name found its way into the referee's book after a foul followed by a tantrum.
These games are not always predictable of course. Few saw the five stoppage-time red cards coming when these teams last met at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1, back in September 2020.
All hell broke loose on that occasion when the game's simmering tension reached boiling point. Accusations were flung this way and that, with the red-carded Neymar at the centre of many of them. Marseille won that game 1-0, doling out another painful blow to a PSG side who had lost the Champions League final to Bayern Munich just three weeks earlier.
PSG ridiculously failed to win Ligue 1 last season, an embarrassment considering the riches of their talent pool, but the trophy – L'Hexagoal – is heading back to the capital, and Sunday's 2-1 win over Marseille put the Parisian club 15 points clear with six rounds of games to play.
They could wrap up the title in midweek, but what would it really mean? Will it save Mauricio Pochettino's job? Probably not. Will it be the determining factor in whether Mbappe signs a new deal or heads to Madrid? Probably not. Will the PSG fans celebrate it with any great gusto? No, probably not, given many are apparently pig-sick of the club's leadership.
The Ligue 1 title has been reduced to a matter of interest only when PSG do not win it, given it should be a formality each season. And so on they plod, this gaggle of megastars and their various chums.
It is not quite the 'Zidanes and Pavons' policy of Real Madrid's Galacticos late period, but PSG are similarly top-heavy. While that Madrid side struggled at times in the league, they could put it together in the Champions League, the competition that remains out of reach for this PSG incarnation.
Was this Pochettino's final Classique? There are no assurances forthcoming over his future. If it is, he has nudged PSG ahead of Marseille on the all-time record between the teams in Ligue 1. This was a 33rd victory in the series, with Marseille having won 32 times and 20 of the league games having been drawn.
So one-sided has this rivalry become, however, that PSG have only lost one of the last 20 such league tussles between the sides (W15 D4).
That's a rivalry, only in the sense that Serena Williams versus Maria Sharapova was a rivalry on the tennis court. Williams lost two of their first three matches, then won the next 19 before Sharapova retired, barring one walk-over.
Sunday's encounter was certainly not a walk-over for PSG, as Marseille made a match of this Classique at times, recovering from Neymar's early strike to draw level through Duje Caleta-Car, with Gianluigi Donnarumma adding to his bloopers file as he failed to gather Dimitri Payet's corner.
Neymar had a free-kick well saved by Pau Lopez, Messi had a couple of goals ruled out for offside calls, Mbappe smashed home a penalty after Neymar's shot was handled. William Saliba was denied a late Marseille equaliser after a VAR review showed he was narrowly offside. PSG actually finished this game having seen just 42 per cent of the ball, their lowest total in a Ligue 1 game since February 2013, also against Marseille.
And of course Neymar flapped indignantly after being booked for fouling Matteo Guendouzi. Just for a moment the combustible Brazilian looked to be risking a second yellow with his protests.
PSG can be fun to watch when they lose the plot, or when they attempt defending, but the joy that should be gleaned from seeing Neymar, Messi and Mbappe together is tempered by the sense of formality about all of this.
Almost 30 years have passed since it was Marseille's ownership that had critics up in arms, during the scandal-hit Bernard Tapie era, when it was OM who had the biggest stars.
In 1993, the year Marseille won the Champions League, Alen Boksic, Rudi Voller and Abedi Pele complemented a rich French contingent that included Basile Boli, Fabien Barthez, Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps.
The PSG of that era had stars too – David Ginola, George Weah and Valdo among them – and the great rivalry was ostensibly born, but the modern-day Marseille are no competition on a man-for-man basis with the current Parisian legion of luminaries.
Tycoon Tapie's substantial wealth and Marseille's financial clout had nothing on the Qatar Sports Investments money muscle behind PSG, though.
French football has been dealt the derogatory tag of a "farmer's league", a title bestowed due to a perceived lack of competition. And when the joie de vivre has been sucked out of even Le Classique, where does the game go from here?
Real Madrid fought back from 2-0 down to beat Sevilla 3-2 as Karim Benzema's stoppage-time winner took them a step closer to clinching the title.
Sevilla looked to be breathing life back in LaLiga's title race, but Carlo Ancelotti's side produced a brutal second-half performance to make a real statement.
Perhaps suffering something of a Champions League hangover, Madrid were sluggish and found themselves trailing to goals from Ivan Rakitic and Erik Lamela, both caused by defensive mishaps.
But the pattern of play was dramatically flipped on its head after the break, with Rodrygo pulling one back and fellow substitute Nacho Fernandez equalising, before king of comebacks Benzema sealed the turnaround.
Paris Saint-Germain came out on top 2-1 in a tight tussle with Marseille in Sunday's Classique, with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe securing the bragging rights.
All three goals were scored before half-time in a match that was far from classic between Ligue 1's top two teams.
Duje Caleta-Car had cancelled out Neymar's opener, before Mbappe struck from the penalty spot to restore parity, with Marseille having what they thought was an equaliser disallowed by VAR late on.
The win maintains PSG's strong form after Mauricio Pochettino’s side won their previous two fixtures 5-1 and 6-1, and moves them closer to putting the finishing touches on regaining the Ligue 1 title.
Bruno Guimaraes declared he wants to become a Newcastle United legend after his match-winning double against Leicester City on Sunday.
Ademola Lookman silenced the lively St James' Park crowd with his 19th-minute opener. It meant Lookman has scored on each of his last three Premier League starts, after only netting in two of his previous 22 such appearances.
However, Guimaraes bundled over the line for his first home Newcastle goal 11 minutes later, with a VAR check leading to the overruling of a foul on Kasper Schmeichel awarded by referee Jarred Gillett.
A lung-busting surge down the left flank by Joe Willock then created space in stoppage-time for Guimaraes, who profited from a deflected cross to head in and secure all three points for Eddie Howe's side.
The Brazil international's second goal, clocked at 94 minutes and 10 seconds, was Newcastle's latest winner on record in the Premier League, since Opta began recording data in 2006-07.
The 24-year-old has three Premier League goals in his last five league starts after he became just the second Brazilian to net a double for the club in the competition, after Kenedy in March 2018 versus Southampton.
After Newcastle moved 12 points clear of the relegation zone, Guimaraes expressed a hope to etch his name in history for the Magpies.
"What a feeling, what a game," he told Sky Sports. "The group deserved it. It was incredible today, to score my first goals, it was brilliant.
"It has always been my dream to play in the Premier League. The noise was incredible, I want to be a legend here.
"It was my first goal with my head. What a feeling. I don't remember it very well, when I saw the ball I didn't think twice, thanks to Joe Willock, an excellent cross.
"It was really important for me to score my first goal at St James’ Park. Here is my home now, I want to play 100 times here."
Guimaraes also reserved special praise for manager Howe, who has turned Newcastle's fortunes around since his appointment in November.
"[Eddie Howe] is very smart, the group likes him a lot, he is very important, he deserves it," he added.
Newcastle have transformed St James' Park into something of a fortress, winning their last five home games, and they will aim for three points again when they host Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Ajax are attempting everything in their power to keep Manchester United target Erik ten Hag, according to the club's technical manager Gerry Hamstra.
Ten Hag has been repeatedly linked with the permanent United job, which will become available at the end of the season when Ralf Rangnick moves into a consultancy role.
The Dutchman and Mauricio Pochettino appeared among the favourites for the Old Trafford role, though reports in the last week suggested Ten Hag has all but agreed on a deal.
Hamstra, who is the highest technical director at the Eredivisie champions after Marc Overmars departed earlier in the year, insists Ajax have left no stone unturned in their attempts to retain Ten Hag.
"We have done everything we can and are doing everything we can to keep him on board," Hamstra told ESPN.
"Contract extension offered? Yes. More money? Everything that comes with it, without going into detail."
Hamstra was speaking before Ajax's 2-1 defeat to PSV in the Dutch Cup final, the latter side scoring twice in as many minutes through Erick Gutierrez and Cody Gakpo to secure victory.
The two teams are also locked in a battle for the Eredivisie title, with Ajax four points clear ahead of the final five games.
If the reigning Eredivisie champions can retain their crown, it would be their third league title under Ten Hag, who guided them to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals before a last-gasp loss to Tottenham.
While Hamstra is keen to see more from the 52-year-old, he conceded the decision remains in Ten Hag's hands.
"Erik can ultimately determine his own future. He is old enough and wise enough for that," he added.
"We have two scenarios: we really hope he stays; it makes sense that there is interest in him. If he doesn't stay, we have to be ready for the second scenario."
Chelsea star Mason Mount believes it is time for the Blues to win a final at Wembley.
Thomas Tuchel's side recovered from Champions League extra-time heartbreak against Real Madrid by coasting past Crystal Palace to reach a third successive FA Cup final on Sunday.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek struck with 25 minutes remaining as he slammed in his first Chelsea goal since May 2019, while Mount made sure of victory with a second nine minutes later.
The pair became the first English duo to score in a club game at Wembley for the Blues since Peter Houseman and Ian Hutchinson netted in the 1970 FA Cup final against Leeds United.
However, Mount does not have too many fond memories of England's national stadium, where he has lost an EFL Cup and two FA Cup finals, along with the Euro 2020 showpiece with England.
The 23-year-old was also a part of Derby County's Championship play-off final side that lost to Aston Villa in 2018-19, taking his tally at Wembley to five losses – a record he wants to overturn.
"It is a game we used to bounce back. It was a very, very tough game. They made it very difficult for us. They have some top players. It wasn't easy," he told ITV Sport after the game.
"The way we came through it we showed character.
"I am buzzing for Rubes [Loftus-Cheek]. He is a top, top player. He comes on in a difficult game and steps up. He is dominant and the way he drives the ball forward helps us. He was brilliant today.
"Timo Werner is brilliant, he has done so well the last couple of games. He had a chance in the second half that he missed but then ran all the way back to win the ball and that shows the player he is.
"It is time for us to win a final at Wembley. It is five finals I have lost, so we have to put the pressure on us to step up."
Chelsea now have to overcome Liverpool, who defeated the Blues on penalties in the EFL Cup final in February.
Indeed, it will be just the second time two sides will contest both the EFL Cup and FA Cup final in the same campaign after 1992-93, when Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday did so, with the Gunners winning both trophies that year.
Thomas Tuchel expressed his delight with a "controlled and serious" performance that guided Chelsea into the FA Cup final.
Chelsea reached a third successive FA Cup final, matching the feat achieved by Arsenal between 2000-01 and 2002-03, with a 2-0 triumph over Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Substitute Ruben Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring in the 65th minute with his first goal in any competition since November 2020, before Mason Mount sealed semi-final success with 14 minutes remaining.
The 2021-22 campaign now marks Mount's new-best scoring season, with his 12th strike this term surpassing his 11-goal haul for Championship side Derby County in 2018-19.
Tuchel, who has progressed from each of the 11 semi-final ties in his managerial career, congratulated his players for their efforts amid a hectic schedule, with Chelsea having slipped out of the Champions League after going to extra-time against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
"It was not easy because we played three games in three different competitions," Tuchel told ITV Sport.
"It is not always easy, very challenging physically, we are the team with the most minutes in Europe I think, it is also challenging mentally.
"I thought the performance was very controlled and very serious, we took care of their counter-attacks. It was hard, the opponent changed system twice, you cannot lose focus for a minute."
Tuchel also reserved special praise for Loftus-Cheek, who scored his first Chelsea goal since May 2019, when he netted in a Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
"He [Ruben Loftus-Cheek] was very, very strong in matches against Southampton and Real Madrid, he would have deserved to start," said Tuchel.
"We knew Ruben would have a big impact off the bench. I am very happy.
"He hid his talent and potential for a long time in his career. He is capable of producing performances that everyone sees on the pitch. For him, it is step by step that he continues to grow in his confidence."
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool stand in the way of Chelsea in the final, and it will be the second time the same two sides have competed in the EFL Cup and FA Cup showpiece events in the same season, after Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday met in both competitions in 1992-93.
Tuchel, though, cannot wait to renew his battle with the quadruple-hunting Liverpool, who ran out penalty shoot-out victors in the EFL Cup in late February and defeated Premier League title rivals Manchester City in Saturday's semi-final.
"I am happy to be part of it again, I cannot be more excited and more proud because it is a huge competition. We will be ready," he added.
David Miller hit a stunning 94 not out as Indian Premier League newcomers Gujarat Titans edged out Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in a frantic finish.
Chasing 169-5 in Pune, Gujarat reached their target with one ball to spare – Miller and Rashid Khan (40) playing the telling knocks after a shaky start to the reply.
Victory for Gujarat was a fifth in sixth matches and keeps them flying high at the top of the IPL, but this clash against lowly Chennai could easily have gone the other way.
Chennai's Ruturaj Gaikwad made 73 and Ambati Rayudu weighed in with 46.
Gaikwad's runs came from just 48 balls, and he swatted five of those deliveries for four and another five for six as the Titans attack suffered at his hands.
Gujarat were in a desperate situation when Shubman Gill and Vijay Shankar went for ducks, with Abhinav Manohar then falling for 12 to leave the chasers on 16-3 after 3.5 overs.
Maheesh Theekshana took two of those wickets, and Ravindra Jadeja got in on the act when he had Wriddhiman Saha caught on the leg side to leave the Titans 48-4.
But Miller dug in and while he was outstanding, it was Rashid who struck the blows that swung the momentum Gujarat's way, taking 22 runs from Chris Jordan's first four balls of the 18th over.
By the end of it, Gujarat required 23 runs from 12 deliveries, and despite Rashid's dismissal, the target fell to 13 from the final six balls.
Jordan gallantly returned and bowled two dot balls but was then carted for six by Miller, who was subsequently caught at short third man, but the delivery was too high and a no-ball was given.
Miller, grateful for his reprieve, clattered the next ball through the leg side for four, before dashing two, beating the fielder's throw as he snatched the match-winning runs.
Gaikwad comes good
Gaikwad owed Chennai a performance and this was more like it from the 25-year-old, who had one century and four fifties in the competition last year. He was unlucky to finish on the beaten side.
Miller time
After a top score of an unbeaten 31 in his previous five innings this season, Miller turned back the clock to his early days in the IPL, fashioning his highest score in the competition since the 2013 season, when he made his only century to date. He clattered eight fours and six sixes in this 51-ball effort.
Diego Simeone hailed 10-man Atletico Madrid for displaying their "personality, pride and hard work" in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Sunday.
Substitutes Matheus Cunha and Yannick Carrasco combined in the 52nd minute, with the latter opening the scoring with Atletico's first shot on target at the Wanda Metropolitano.
However, Geoffrey Kondogbia was dismissed for two bookable offences, with Raul de Tomas restoring parity immediately after by squeezing a free-kick under Jan Oblak.
Atletico's grasp on Champions League qualification was seemingly slipping until Carrasco converted a penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time after De Tomas was adjudged by the VAR to have handled.
Victory moved the reigning LaLiga champions level on points, at least temporarily, with Sevilla and Barcelona and three clear of fifth-placed Real Betis, who were held at Real Sociedad on Friday.
Simeone's side have collected more points than any other LaLiga side this season with goals in the 90th minute or later (10 points), and the Atletico boss was delighted with his team's spirited response.
"With the sending-off comes fatigue, the goal, one less player, 20 minutes to go and the team kept looking, taking risks, with great effort from everyone," he told reporters after the game.
"You come from the hit four days ago [after being eliminated by Manchester City in the Champions League] after playing a good game, it's not easy and these guys played with personality, pride and hard work.
"We then benefited from that penalty and Carrasco showed his courage to finish it."
Atletico have failed to score in the first half in their last four games in all competitions, having had just one shot on target in those halves, and Simeone acknowledged changes were needed at half-time.
He introduced Antoine Griezmann, Cunha and match-winner Carrasco, changes that offered Atletico the impact Simeone sought after.
"Carrasco scored a very important goal for our league position, we came from a very big effort and a bad game in Mallorca [1-0 defeat]. Today, the first half was a struggle but the second was more dynamic."
Carrasco expressed his delight to Movistar after the game but conceded Atletico have no chance of catching leaders Real Madrid, who could go 15 points clear at the LaLiga summit with victory at Sevilla.
"Very happy, it was a difficult game," he said. "We were winning, then 10 against 11 we have continued to push and very happy with the victory that brings us closer to the goal.
"[The title race] is over, we still have games left in LaLiga and we have to continue. This match is important for us for morale and to continue working."
Julian Nagelsmann is relishing a "match point" game with Borussia Dortmund after Bayern Munich moved on the brink of another Bundesliga title with a 3-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld.
Bayern bounced back from the disappointment of their Champions League exit at the hands of Villarreal in routine fashion, goals from Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala securing all three points against their relegation-threatened opponents.
It means Bayern have a nine-point lead over Dortmund with four games remaining and can clinch the title with victory over their arch-rivals at the Allianz Arena next Saturday.
"It was a deserved win and it's important for us to have this match point game at home against Dortmund," Nagelsmann said in quotes reported by Bayern's official website.
"It's a coincidence that doesn't happen very often. We're looking forward to that."
Bayern's Joshua Kimmich added: "The first half was pretty good, but in the second half we slowed down a bit.
"We kept allowing counter-attacks with long balls. It was a deserved win.
"We definitely want to win the title next week against Dortmund at home. This is a special game for us and for the whole Bundesliga. Because to get the championship trophy, that's clearly the ultimate goal."
Gnabry, who also created four chances, conceded there was an element of frustration from the aggregate defeat to Villarreal that was taken out on struggling Arminia.
"It was a bit of a reduction in frustration today after being eliminated from the Champions League, in which we had planned to progress," he said.
"But in the end, football just keeps going. Today was a new game. We wanted to win and we did. We played well with the ball, created a lot of space, let our opponents run and lost the ball a few times.
"We had a lot of chances and maybe we could have scored earlier. But we can be satisfied."
INEOS Grenadiers won the Paris-Roubaix for the first time as Dylan van Baarle clinched victory in the prestigious one-day classic.
Van Baarle's victory came with a record – his average speed of 45.79kph (28.45mph) is the quickest ever recorded in the history of the gruelling race.
The Dutchman also benefited from Yves Lampaert's collision with a roadside spectator in the final kilometres of the 257.2km route from Compiegne to the Velodrome Andre-Petrieux in Roubaix.
It marked an extraordinary turnaround for 29-year-old Van Baarle who finished outside the time limit in last year's Paris-Roubaix in October, though he came into the 2022 race in good form, having taken second place in the Tour of Flanders earlier in April.
INEOS, meanwhile, won the title for the first time since the team were launched as Team Sky in 2010.
Van Baarle finished in a time of five hours and 37 minutes, one minute and 47 seconds ahead of second-placed Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma), who was making his first appearance since recovering from COVID-19.
Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) came across the line in the same time as Van Aert and claimed the final podium place.
"It's unbelievable. I couldn't believe it when I went on the velodrome, you know," Van Baarle told reporters.
He added, according to Cycling News: "When the team car came up next to me, then I really started believing in it. It's been crazy. To be second in Flanders and then to win Roubaix, I'm lost for words."
A frustrated Lampaert told Sporza: "Those are situations that should not happen in a race. It's a shame. That man brought his arm forward and it hit my arm. As a result, I lost control of the bike and I couldn't stay up.
"If you don't know anything about the race, then stay at home. For me, it was dramatic, because there was still a podium place at play."
Chelsea secured their place in a third successive FA Cup final after second-half goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount clinched the 2-0 defeat of Crystal Palace at Wembley on Sunday.
The Blues have made something of a habit of reaching the FA Cup showpiece in recent years, contesting four of the past five, and while this semi-final win was by means vintage, Thomas Tuchel's side looked comfortable once they found the breakthrough.
Neither side showed much inspiration in attack during a cagey opening 45 minutes and there were few signs of improvement initially after the interval.
But a couple of kind deflections helped substitute Loftus-Cheek break the deadlock just past the hour for his first Chelsea goal since May 2019, and Mount's finish soon after ensured the Blues will face Liverpool for the trophy.
It took 35 minutes for a dull first half to come to life as Edouard Mendy did brilliantly to save a goal-bound volley from his Senegal team-mate Cheikhou Kouyate down to his left.
Kai Havertz attempted to win a penalty with a dive at the other end a few moments later, but referee Anthony Taylor saw through his deception and brandished a yellow card.
Kouyate went close again early in the second half when a header flew agonisingly off target and Chelsea capitalised in the 65th minute.
Havertz's cutback was diverted into Loftus-Cheek's path and another touch off a Palace defender took the midfielder's powerful strike out of Jack Butland's reach.
Mount wrapped things up 14 minutes from time, tucking a neat finish into the bottom-right corner after good work from Timo Werner, with Romelu Lukaku's dreadful late miss proving irrelevant.
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