FA Cup: Chelsea see off Leicester City
Chelsea 4 - 2 Leicester City
Chelsea narrowly avoided a major upset against Leicester City to secure their place in the FA Cup semi-finals, thanks to two stoppage-time goals.
The Foxes were trailing 2-0 until an own goal by Axel Disasi from 35 yards out brought them back into the game. Stephy Mavididi then scored a fantastic equaliser for the visitors, which led to a tense atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, with the home fans voicing their displeasure with manager Mauricio Pochettino.
However, late goals from substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke secured the win for Chelsea in a dramatic second half.
A red card with 17 minutes to go for Leicester defender Callum Doyle proved crucial.
He fouled Nicolas Jackson and, having been initially been shown a yellow card and a penalty given, the video assistant referee ruled the foul was outside of the box but upgraded his yellow to red.
Chelsea maintained constant pressure throughout the remainder of the game. In the end, Chukwuemeka scored a goal after a clever flick from Cole Palmer, who had already scored along with Marc Cucurella in the first half. The goal was scored in the 92nd minute.
Cole's assist for the winner was too cold. 😮💨#CFC | #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/5lh8xxh5o2
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 18, 2024
Madueke then scored a long-range strike to seal the win for Chelsea, who still have hopes of winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2018 and ending a difficult season on a high note.
Leicester, on the other hand, will now turn their attention back to the Championship as they have been knocked off the top of the table by Leeds' win against Millwall on Sunday.
Another dramatic afternoon in the FA Cup
This second half was every bit as dramatic as Coventry's late win against Wolves on Saturday and Manchester United's thrilling match against Liverpool.
FA Cup: United and Liverpool play out a classic
Magic of the FA Cup: 2023/2024
Despite also missing a penalty through Raheem Sterling in the first half, Chelsea looked to be cruising through to the last four until Disasi's moment of madness. He received a throw-in under pressure and attempted to pass back to his goalkeeper, but accidentally lofted the ball over his head.
From there, Chelsea repeatedly gave the ball away and the Leicester fans were loud. Patson Daka had come close to getting on the end of a cross from Abdul Fatawu before Mavididi's equaliser.
Next came the red card which came when a brilliant turn from Jackson sent him through on goal. From the subsequent free-kick, positioned inches outside the box, Sterling blasted well over and loud boos rained down from the stands.
Sterling also missed a one-on-one in the first half and when Pochettino took off Mykhailo Mudryk moments later, the atmosphere verged on mutinous.
There were ironic cheers, some boos and some applause when Sterling was eventually taken off.
To Pochettino's credit, it was the two substitutes who won the game. Chukwuemeka was cool where his team-mates had earlier failed before Madueke danced through challenges and curled in.
With Chelsea 11th in the Premier League and having already suffered a disappointing defeat by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, Pochettino could not afford a loss against lower-league opposition. His side just about avoided it.
Highlights and the best reaction
You can see the highlights of he match in the video below. Link here: Late Chelsea Fight Back Sends Blues to Wembley! | Chelsea 4-2 Leicester City | Emirates FA Cup 23-24 (youtube.com)
Lauren, a Chelsea fan, gave her thoughts on the match and wider situation at Chelsea: "Sterling had a mixed day, managing to secure an assist but leaving much to be desired in his decision-making, movement, and shot choices. The real sting came with his penalty miss, which was one of the worst we've seen in recent memory – easily stopped by the goalkeeper.
"This sort of missed opportunity isn't unfamiliar with the Chelsea squad, but this one felt particularly frustrating, especially considering Sterling isn't usually the one tasked with taking penalties. He's not even among the top three choices, and his track record with penalties has been consistently shaky throughout his career. That's not exaggerating the situation."
