LONDON, England (AP) — Chelsea sealed a meeting with Liverpool in the FA Cup final after thrashing London rival Tottenham 5-1 at Wembley Stadium yesterday thanks to some ruthless finishing and a controversial goal that will reignite the debate over goalline technology.

The decision to award a 49thminute goal to Juan Mata, putting Chelsea 2-0 up, appeared to be wrong after video replays suggested the ball hadn’t crossed the line when it was cleared away by Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto.

It added to Didier Drogba’s superb opener just before halftime and although Gareth Bale pulled a goal back in the 56th, Chelsea sealed victory through classy strikes by Ramires, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda in the final 13 minutes.

Despite eventually losing by a four-goal margin, Redknapp said referee Martin Atkinson’s awarding of the second goal proved crucial as it forced him to go on the attack in the final 20 minutes, leaving his defence open.

Atkinson made the decision, not his linesman, even though there was a mass of bodies on the line after a number of players fell in a heap after competing for a high ball in a melee in the six-yard box.

As Chelsea’s players celebrated in a huddle, Spurs’ players protested vehemently, some heading toward the linesman and others to Atkinson, who could easily have given a foul against John Terry for bundling over Assou-Ekotto and King before Mata got his shot away.

Adebayor sprinted onto a pass from Luka Modric, shrugged off marker David Luiz and rounded Petr Cech before being brought down by the Czech Republic goalkeeper. Atkinson played advantage to allow Bale to sidefoot into the empty net.

Luiz ended up being carried off on a stretcher after pulling up with what Di Matteo said was a hamstring injury as Drogba went clear, making the Brazilian a big doubt for the first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Chelsea defended stoutly thereafter, however, with Gary Cahill — Luiz’s replacement — adapting well to being thrown on.

Ramires grabbed the clinching third goal, running onto Mata’s fine reverse pass and clipping a deft finish over the onrushing Cudicini.

The goal deflated Tottenham, which looked a spent force in the final quarter, and there was still time for Lampard to smash a sensational, dipping 35-yard (metre) free kick past the despairing Cudicini in the 81st.

Malouda, on as a substitute, added a neat fifth after a sublime throughball by the elusive Mata.