Chelsea had to overturn a goal deficit to defeat Championship Leeds and advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals, but Conor Gallagher struck a last-minute winner off the bench.
Axel Disasi gave up possession of the ball inside the box while attempting to play out from the back, and Mateo Joseph scored the first goal for the visitors eight minutes in. Nicolas Jackson scored a quick equalizer for the Blues following a skillfully coordinated team play.
Mykhaylo Mudryk’s flick of the ball in from a cutback just before halftime gave the home team the unexpected advantage. Leeds equalized the score when Joseph headed in at the far post, despite the Blues having opportunities to extend their lead.
As it looked like extra time might be needed, Gallagher struck in the 89th minute to seal the victory and set up a last-eight draw with Leicester. Mirror Football examines the main talking points from the match in this article.
Chelsea stammers back at Neville.Â
As Chelsea fell to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, Manchester United veteran Gary Neville memorably called them “billion pound bottle jobs”. This was an excellent opportunity to disprove the pundit.
However, the Blues’ reaction was halting, as they played a lot of the game carelessly. They even conceded a goal just eight minutes due to an unsuccessful attempt to play out from the back with a goal kick.
Even though the Blues rallied to reverse the tide of the match by halftime, their performance was nonetheless uneasy, especially considering how they were pushed back after the interval. The hosts, who were playing against Championship opponents, really didn’t do anything to demonstrate that they have what it takes to win the cup in the end.
Leeds makes a Premier League suggestion.
Leeds also gave a strong indication that, should they win promotion, they will not be taken lightly, even though Chelsea was far from their best. The Whites are headed back to the top division as they presently sit second in the Championship rankings.
Daniel Farke’s team sent a message to any prospective opponents for the upcoming season after suffering a terrible relegation the previous time they were in the Premier League. The visitors applied intense pressure, repeatedly pressuring Chelsea into mistakes.
Although they had to spend money on a goal scorer, Leeds can generally be proud of the performance. Farke’s team put their well-known hosts to the test, and the Blues almost lost it.
Jackson achieves a welcome milestone.Â
When Nicolas Jackson joined from Villarreal in the summer, he has largely fallen short of expectations. But 15 minutes in, he scored the vital equalizer to bring Chelsea back into the game.
The striker scored a well-executed goal, as the 22-year-old initiated the move that resulted in his goal. Before playing a pass into Noni Madueke on the edge of the box, Jackson scooped it up on the right.
Jackson scored from a close range after Madueke gave the ball back to Moises Caicedo through the midfield. Given how challenging his campaign has been, Jackson’s 10th strike of the campaign was a welcome milestone.
Pochettino is up against additional inquiries.Â
Following Chelsea’s dreadful extra-time display in the Carabao Cup final, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino required his players to demonstrate their desire to play for him. However, the under-fire Argentine now faces more questions as a result of his inadequate response.
Pochettino chose to alter three positions in the back five, including the goalkeeper, left back, and center back, in his extensive lineup alterations. That did not have the expected outcome, unfortunately, as Leeds’ attackers could see that the Blues were dangerously exposed.
Academy-made item Alfie Gilchrist had a difficult time stopping Jaidon Antony, who provided two assists to help Leeds win twice. Pochettino will now be the target of more inquiries given how disappointing his first season in command has been.
Young talent from Leeds creates a model for Chelsea
Chelsea supporters had been clamoring for this kind of performance the entire season. However, it was the Leeds young guns who demonstrated to the Blues how to manage the rigors of senior game, not their team’s performance.
Archie Gray, 17, was picked in midfield; Mateo Joseph, 20, was named up front; Illan Meslier, 23, was named in goal; Ethan Amapdu, 23, was named in midfield; and Jaidon Antony, 24, was named on the flank for the Whites. Leeds’s iconic performance was fueled by the performances of those five.
Even though he was competing against Enzo Fernandes and Mosies Caicedo, who together cost over £200 million, Gray was especially outstanding in the engine room. Joseph also scored two well-executed goals to demonstrate to Chelsea’s young strikers how to take chances.
