Do not underestimate Chelsea’s knack for causing chaos. They were able to score 2 goals against a lower ranked team in the FA Cup quarter-final, but ended up needing a last-minute winner to advance. The second half featured a ridiculous own goal by Axel Disasi, crowd hostility, and a stand-out assist by Cole Palmer which improved the negative atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.
Unfortunately, Chelsea lacked strong leadership and experience under pressure, which was evident when they came close to embarrassment before Palmer’s composed and ingenious play set up Chukwuemeka for a goal in the last two added minutes. The sudden downfall was unexpected, as Disasi’s mistake provided hope for Leicester and ultimately led to Chelsea losing their composure. As a result, they experienced a complete meltdown and were tied by Stephy Mavididi’s goal.
The crowd’s emotions were intense. They directed their frustration towards Raheem Sterling, who failed to score a penalty and a great chance in the first half. Moments after Leicester player Callum Doyle was given a red card, Sterling also missed a free-kick. As the match continued and with 17 minutes left, the fans criticized Mauricio Pochettino by chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing.” This was in response to his decision to substitute Chukwuemeka for Mykhailo Mudryk, rather than Sterling.
It served as a reminder that Pochettino’s youthful team still struggles to maintain stability. They fluctuate between extremes, with moments of dazzling football but also frequently bewildering decision-making. However, with goals from Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke, Chelsea secured their spot in the semi-finals for the second time this season, where they will face Manchester City at Wembley.
Pochettino has the potential to finish this tumultuous season successfully, although Leicester did not make it a smooth ride. Enzo Maresca’s team has encountered some difficulties lately, with their first place position in the Championship narrowing after only one win in five games, but they remained determined.
Chelsea needed to perform well in order to take advantage of playing against a lower-level team for the third time in the tournament this year. Leicester created difficulties in the first half. Patson Daka and Wout Faes missed opportunities to score, with the latter coming after Robert Sánchez, who was already causing concern, failed to catch a corner.
Despite Leicester’s courage, several of their players did not meet the necessary level in the Premier League. Harry Winks, who performed admirably alongside Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in midfield, has not been as strong since starting for Pochettino’s Tottenham in the Champions League final five years ago.
In the end, Leicester stands in between two time periods, still feeling the effects of relegation and facing the possibility of a points deduction for breaking profit and sustainability rules if they are promoted. Wilfried Ndidi, the midfielder from Nigeria, was the only player from either team’s starting lineup who also played in Leicester’s win over Chelsea in the 2021 final. The pairing of Faes and Jannik Vestergaard as center-back did not instill much confidence.
Display the image in full screen mode.
Chelsea was optimistic about their chances. Pochettino responded to Enzo Fernández’s suspension in the midfield by employing a 4-2-3-1 formation. Mudryk started on the left, Sterling played in the center, and Chelsea quickly took the lead.
Moisés Caicedo’s challenge on Abdul Fatawu triggered the objective. The ball was passed to Palmer, who passed it to Nicolas Jackson. Confronting Vestergaard, the forward made a strong advance and set up Marc Cucurella, the left-back, for an easy score – his inaugural goal for Chelsea.
Additional goals could have been scored. There was an odd moment when Fatawu committed a foul on Sterling, resulting in a penalty. Palmer has successfully made five penalty kicks this season, making it unexpected to see Sterling take the shot. However, his attempt was aimed too centrally and Jakub Stolarcyzk prevented the score from increasing to 1-0.
Pass over advertisement for newsletter
after newsletter promotion
After receiving a pass from Caicedo, Sterling made an attempt on goal but missed. However, his efforts cannot be questioned as he was constantly present on the field. He also had an assist in the first half when he successfully dribbled down the left side and set up Palmer for a score just before the break.
“The task was too easy. Chelsea prefers complexity. In the 51st minute, Disasi fulfilled their desire. While rushing back to handle a loose ball on the right, the defender felt pressure from Daka and made a panicked decision, despite being 40 yards away from the goal. Sánchez, who was also unconvincing in possession, was too far to the left and the goalkeeper was unable to stop Disasi’s shot from spinning into the net.”
Chelsea’s formation vanished. It was expected when Mavididi defeated Malo Gusto and skillfully scored a beautiful goal past Sánchez. This gave Leicester more confidence to go for a third goal. Chelsea quickly countered with Jackson. However, Doyle intentionally tripped him outside the penalty area. The referee, Andrew Madley, reviewed the play and decided to give a penalty kick, as well as a free kick, and ejected Doyle from the game.
Things took a strange turn, as Pochettino and Sterling were subjected to verbal attacks. Despite being down a player, Leicester continued to fight hard. When Sterling was replaced by Madueke, there were negative reactions from the crowd.
Chelsea had the advantage of time on their side. Chukwuemeka partnered with Palmer, whose clever backheel allowed the midfielder to score. The tension eased as Madueke’s shot from 20 yards took a deflection and found the back of the net. However, the lingering conflict from earlier was still difficult to ignore.
Source: theguardian.com
