The problem is that this isn't a final exactly regarded as life and death. The elite have long since relegated the old trophy to third, at best, in their list of priorities, so one would imagine the winners will be happy but the losers won't cry themselves to sleep.
Will this devalue the whole event? Possibly, but it remains a prize worth chasing, and for United a victory would draw them level with Arsenal as the most successful team in the competition's history.
So who will come out on top?
Goalkeeper
This is a tricky one to assess, because it depends on which goalkeeper both teams play. Antonio Conte has used back-up stopper Willy Caballero in all of their FA Cup games so far, and Jose Mourinho probably would've done too had Sergio Romero not been injured for the semifinal victory over Tottenham. But will they return to Thibaut Courtois and David De Gea for the big occasion?
For now, let's assume it will be the second stringers, in which case it's a fairly close call, but Romero shades it. It's a little odd to think that both men have been named in Argentina's preliminary World Cup squad, but Romero is the more reliable of the pair, and will probably take the No.1 spot for the national team too.
Edge: United
Defence
Jose Mourinho is a kind-hearted soul, isn't he? How accommodating he was to pick his defenders in the closing weeks of the season on the basis that some would be competing for World Cup places! That was his explanation for Eric Bailly kicking his heels in the closing games, and while Bailly got a start in a shadow team for the final game of the season, one wonders if he will play at Wembley.
That could be the tipping point: Bailly is probably United's best defender, and with Chelsea's own backline inconsistent -- in both selection and performance -- his presence might be the deciding factor. Who knows which back three Conte will choose: only Cesar Azpilicueta is assured of his place, the other spots should go to two of Gary Cahill, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger.
Midfield
The key element to this head-to-head might be which Paul Pogba shows up. We all know what the Frenchman is capable of: either brilliance that makes you purr or anonymity that makes you sigh. Mourinho has played him in the three-man midfield that should theoretically get the best from him in the latter part of the season, but still his form has been patchy. He could be a matchwinner, but also could do nothing.
Ideally Conte might want to matchup with a three-man midfield, but does he have the players for it? Cesc Fabregas and N'Golo Kante are a fine midfield pair, but the options to augment them aren't inspiring, and the performances of Ross Barkley and Tiemoue Bakayoko against Newcastle last week won't have done their causes much good. A close one, but Fabregas and Kante are more reliable than United's midfield.