| By Phil McNulty Chief football writer at Wembley |
Jose Mourinho made no secret of the trap he set for Manchester United - and Sir Alex Ferguson will be eternally frustrated that his side fell straight in and watched a domestic Double disappear. 
The first FA Cup final at new Wembley was a mostly dreadful spectacle played out between two teams whose exaggerated respect for each other ruined the hopes of a classic being played out at English football's new £757m home.
In fact, the first 45 minutes was so bad that it had an almost ghoulish fascination as the watching world pondered how players of such quality could be so poor.
The rest was an improvement, but Mourinho's trademark brutal honesty almost revealed that it was all part of his plan.
A stand-off suited Chelsea. A dour affair suited Chelsea. A slow-motion game suited Chelsea. A war of attrition suited Chelsea.
And United went along with it to help engineer their own FA Cup final downfall.
Mourinho put his cards on the table as he said: "We know the way they play and we didn't give them that game. We didn't give them the game they wanted us to give them.
"I asked the players whether they wanted to enjoy the game or enjoy after the game. They told me they wanted to enjoy after the game.
"During the game it was not very enjoyable because the players had to think about many tactical points to control the opponents. It was not easy because you get tired, not just physically but mentally."
Mourinho's plan worked to perfection and Chelsea's fans were not complaining about a lack of entertainment as they departed Wembley in delight. 
Chelsea had the game's big players, and it was no surprise they were in defence as Michael Essien demonstrated he is only slightly less outstanding at centre-back than he is in midfield.
Paulo Ferreira had clearly been singled out as a weak link by United but coped superbly.
And Mikel Jon Obi showed what all the fuss was about when Chelsea and United conducted an unseemly scrap for his services.
The young giant prowled midfield, controlling play in a manner that belied his inexperience and showing a strength on the ball United found difficult to combat.
When Mikel adds reliable distribution to his other qualities, he will be world-class.
And up front, Didier Drogba fought a lone battle that made him a deserved match winner.
United, in contrast, looked jaded, listless, and played to a mystifying game plan.
Their trademark high tempo was missing and they seemed content to slow the game down and engage in long spells of sparring with Chelsea.
It was a tactic that suited Chelsea rather than United and reduced the effectiveness of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.
Rooney tried to spark United, but Ronaldo and Giggs looked like tired men at the end of a long season.
Mourinho's style may have its critics, but if the point of his reign is to win trophies he is almost beyond reproach.
Chelsea's style is sometimes not easy on the eye, but is brilliantly effective when it comes to success.
Mourinho outsmarted Ferguson tactically at Wembley and deserves full credit - as do his Chelsea players.
Chelsea raised themselves after the bitter disappointment of losing a Champions League semi-final on penalties to Liverpool and seeing United take their Premiership title.
Mourinho labelled himself "The Special One" - and he has injected a special resilience into a side that just deserved to claim the FA Cup.*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog
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