Chelsea Winners and Losers vs. Manchester City in FA Cup Semifinal

Chelsea lost their first FA Cup match since 2011 as Manchester City advanced to face Wigan Athletic in the final on May 11.

The holders were slow and sloppy for the majority of the match and were made to pay as goals on either side of halftime from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero gave them too big of a hurdle to overcome. A Demba Ba strike on 66 minutes fired Chelsea back into the tie, but the momentum gained by the goal proved to be too little, too late.

There were some controversial decisions by referee Chris Foy. Aguero should have been shown a straight red card for a violent, two-footed assault on David Luiz's upturned bottom, whilst Fernando Torres' appeals for a penalty after a dramatic shirt pull in the box fell on deaf ears.

There was also debate around Rafa Benitez's decision to leave his two most experienced players, John Terry and Frank Lampard, on the bench for a crucial cup game, as both players had featured in the midweek trip to Moscow.

However, there is no doubt that City were the better side for the first 60 minutes as the Chelsea squad felt the fatigue from their fixture congestion.

Despite this, there were several Blues players who performed admirably, whilst others lacked their usual lustre. Here are the six winners and losers from this Chelsea team.

Statistics courtesy of whoscored.com

David Luiz: Winner

Six months ago, Chelsea fans would have told you that they did not want to see Luiz anywhere near the back four again. His tendency to roam up the pitch caused a myriad of defensive problems at the start of the season and exposed the frailty of the once-solid back line.

Rafa Benitez's decision to move him to a more advanced defensive midfield role in the Club World Cup gave him the chance to get forward, with the knowledge that there was still plenty of defensive cover.

Recently, however, Gary Cahill's injury and Benitez's reluctance to start John Terry in consecutive matches has seen him return to centre-half. Surprisingly, he seems far more assured there now, and he has a knack for reading the game that saw him pop up all over the pitch against Man City.

Luiz got the assist for Demba Ba's goal as well as making one tackle, four interceptions and three clearances. He was lively yet focused and was unlucky to see his free kick dip wide of the post.

John Obi Mikel: Loser

This match saw Mikel return to the kind of form that led Chelsea fans to hang their heads whenever his name was on the team sheet. He was caught napping for the first City goal and expended too much energy going forward, despite his strongest position being in a central-defensive-midfield role.

In a game that should have seen him use his strength to shield the back four, he lacked presence and was caught flat-footed by City's attack. Benitez's decision to replace Mikel with Fernando Torres proved to be a good one as the Blues looked much sharper in his absence.

Fernando Torres: Winner

The Fernando Torres who has been sporting a protective mask since sustaining a bloody nose against Steaua Bucharest is not the Fernando Torres who has been suffering all season. This Torres, or "Zorres", is a footballer enjoying his game.

Demba Ba got the only Chelsea goal mere seconds after Zorres came on. Torres would have hung his head and walked through his 28 minutes on the pitch, but it spurred Zorres on to link up with Eden Hazard and work the ball into the box.

He was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when his abdomen was exposed to the world by Vincent Kompany, and his movement helped to increase Chelsea's momentum.

Whilst he couldn't find the equaliser, his overall impact on the game was excellent. I just hope he can keep it up when he no longer needs the mask.

Oscar: Loser

Oscar, the central, defensively minded midfielder, had a truly excellent game against City. He made eight successful tackles, more than the entire back four put together, and had a passing accuracy of 83 percent. Four of his five attempted long balls were successful, and he made two key passes.

However, he was deployed as a wide, attacking midfielder, and only one of his six crosses was accurate.

Oscar would be far better suited to a central role in a 4-2-1-3 formation where he has the freedom to roam between attack and defence without leaving either weakened. When that happens, he will be a winner in every sense of the word.

Demba Ba: Winner

It was Demba Ba's goal that got Chelsea this trip to Wembley, and a similarly acrobatic effort gave the fans hope that they could retain one of their historic trophies from 2012. Both of his shots were on target, and he won two aerial duels.

Ba has been a reliable source of goals since his January move to the club, and his patience and persistence will continue to pay off.

Cesar Azpilicueta: Loser

Azpilicueta has been an excellent player for Chelsea so far this season. He arrived amongst the tabloid frenzy surrounding Eden Hazard and Oscar and has settled in quickly as a solid right full-back, while Branislav Ivanovic has played a more central role.

However, against Manchester City, he was not on form. He attempted seven crosses, none of which found their target, and his overall passing was only 78 percent accurate.

It is a shame for him to have had such a bad game in his first Wembley appearance, but he has shown himself to be the sort of player who will respond positively and improve for Chelsea's next crucial match away at Fulham in the Premier League.