Blues off to Wembley for FA Cup semi after beating Foxes 4-2 after chucking away a two - goal lead
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 4 v Leicester City 2
Chelsea left it late again, and after being pulled back to 2-2 after taking a two-goal lead, substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka Noni scored late on to put the west Londoners into the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley at the expense of hard-working Leicester City.
This was a classic Chelsea performance for the season – lots of bit of excellent play coupled with dismal, dips in player performance that allowed the opposition to take advantage.
It was great for the neutral but showed that on their day, Chelsea can beat anyone, but also lose to anyone too.
Leicester, top of the Championship, proved, like Leeds United in the previous round, to be a difficult side to face
The opening exchanges were even with neither side creating anything that looked like a worthwhile efforts on goal.
There was lots of huff and puff, but too many misplaced passes, players getting dispossessed and counter-attacks breaking down.
With 13 minutes gone, Chelsea's first attack worthy of the name saw Marc Cucurella tap home, unchallenged the far post.
He was set up by Nicolas Jackson who raced down the right wing, before cutting the ball along the byline where the Spain left back had the simplest of chances to tuck the ball home.
Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk had chances to double the lead on 18 minutes, but their efforts where blocked and cleared.
The Foxes recovered well from the set back with Abdul Fatawu a constant threat.
His cross on 23 minutes almost saw Patson Daka head an equaliser by he was just wide.
Seconds later and the Blues got a [penalty when a reckless challenge on Sterling by Fatawu saw referee Andrew Madley award a penalty.
Up stepped Sterling who promptly slashed the ball straight at the feet of the diving Jakub Stolarczyk an the jubilant Leicester fans laughed their heads off.
Mudryk chanced his arm on 34 minutes. Running clear on the right, rather than send a ball into the box, he opted to have a shot. The 25-yarder was a top spin dipper with pace and on target. This forced Straczynski to not take any chances and he punched the ball to safety.
Sterling really should have scored on the edge of half-time when he was sent clear. He outpaced Wout Faes and with only Stolarczyk to beat but he sent the ball wide.
Perhaps Sterling is better at setting up chances, and seconds later he found himself on the left. He cut the ball across and in-running Palmer slotted coolly home.
There were no changes by either side at half-time.4
But disaster struck when from their own throw in Axel Disasi. Under basic pressure from Daka on the right, he decided to hack the ball back to his own goal. Neither Sanchez or the defender could believe their ill-luck when the ball sailed into the back of the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Leicester now had belief. And that belief turn into a fantastic equaliser on 62 minutes.
A piece of sublime play by Stephy Mavididi on the edge of the Chelsea area on the left, had their fans and bench in raptures.
Players love to try and curl an in-swinging right footer with pace and direction which see the ball smash into the corner of the net – it rarely happens.
Mavididi produced one for the collectors' show reel and it was a beauty.
But on a breakaway, Che;sea were awarded a penalty on 71 minutes.
Jackson apparently arrowed into the area and was tripped up by Callum Doyle. Doyle was given a yellow card.
VAR then had a look and decided the incident was outside the area, awarded a free kick while brandishing a red card to Doyle.
Sterling took the kick and sent the ball high in to the back row of the Matthew Harding stand, much to the anger and dismay of the Chelsea fans.
Pochettino decided to bring on midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka for Mudryk and the fans booed that decision.
Noni was them brought on at the expense of Sterling with five minutes on the clock. Noni could have won it for the Blues at the death but Stolarczyk blocked the shot and Hamza Choudhury cleared the ball away for a corner.
Ex-Fox Ben Chilwell came on for Cucurella and eight minutes of added time was announced.
But it was the Blues who struck and a lovely piece of one-touch football between palmer and Chukwuemeka saw the midfielder slot the ball home under Stolarczyk's body.
Noni got in on the act with a piece of individual skill that saw a blistering 25yarder curl I nto the top left hand corner of the net to make it 4-2.
That was the last kick of the game.
Teams: Chelsea: Sanchez, Disasi, Cucurella, Sterling, Mudryk, Chalobah, Jackson, Palmer, Gallagher, Caicedo, Gusto
Subs: Petrovic, Badiashile, Silva, Non I, Chukwuemeka, Chilwell, Deivid, Acheampong, Harrison
Leicester: Stolarczyk, Faes, Doyle, Winks, Mavididi, Choudhury, Fatawu, Daka, Dewsbury-Hall, Vestergaard, Ndidi
Subs: Ward, Justin, Coady, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Cannon, Akgun, Marcal, Nelson
Referee: Andrew Madley
