"... then like West Ham, they fade and die..."

What a cracking Cup Final, for a change. It had almost everything - stirring comebacks, spectacular goals, 'keeper cock-ups, an injury-time equaliser, penalty drama... And West Ham agony.
Sorry, sorry for any shade of schadenfreude here.
Well, I'm not actually that sorry, especially coming six days after seeing with what glee the 'appy 'Ammers chorused pro-A*senal chants from the Upton Park chicken run, which surely left London rivals of many persuasions feeling about as queasy as a Carrick who'd bolted one too many mouthfuls of Marriott Canary Wharf lasagne...
No, I feel entirely comfortable extending towards West Ham fans about as much sympathy and good grace as they showered Spurs' way last Sunday...

Then again, Rafael Benitez does seem a bit of a magic man anyway...

Actually, I'm more relieved than anything. After half-an-hour yesterday - and again in the second half, until Steve Gerrard's astonishing thunderbolt, seemingly struck from an entirely different postcode from where it ended up bulging the back of the net - I had nightmare visions of an end-of-season honours list which looked as follows:
Premiership champions: Chelsea - FA Cup winners: West Ham United - Champions League winners: Well, you know who...

At least that troublesome treble has been avoided in its entireity.
All eyes now on Barca - y viva Espana indeed...

PS - this clip of yesterday's Liverpool celebrations is worth persevering with to the end, if only to enjoy Djibril Cisse's baffling look of utter disgust at his winner's medal...