Chelsea survive scare before beating Leicester City 4-2 in FA Cup quarter-finals

 

On March 17, Chelsea survived a scare before securing a 4-2 win against Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea's manager, has called on fans to support the team, especially Raheem Sterling who has been under scrutiny. The victory was salvaged with two late goals, which spared Chelsea from a potentially humiliating extra time.

Carney Chukwuemeka was the hero of the match with a crucial stoppage-time goal, while Noni Madueke added the fourth to silence the fans who were expressing their dissatisfaction towards Pochettino and Sterling. Pochettino defended Sterling on BBC, saying, "He’s an amazing player. He was a little bit unlucky... But we are a team and we need to be there for everyone."

Regardless of the inconsistent performance from his team, who lost a two-goal lead given to them by Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer, Pochettino's team still managed to advance to the last four of the FA Cup for the sixth time in the last eight years. The defeat, however, was a major setback for Chelsea, who have not been able to claim a single domestic trophy since their last FA Cup win six years ago.

The match saw Leicester's Callum Doyle being sent off for a professional foul on Nicolas Jackson, which led to a late revival for Chelsea. Despite currently ranking 11th in the Premier League, Chelsea are determined to end their trophy drought and their victory in the FA Cup could be the much-needed breakthrough for Pochettino, who is yet to win silverware in England.

The match-winning goal was scored by Chukwuemeka, who was assisted by Cole Palmer. "It’s a big win. We’ve set ourselves a target to win a trophy this season and we have to keep going.” said Chukwuemeka. Leicester manager Enzo Maresca praised his players despite the loss, noting the red card completely changed the game's dynamic.