Sensational penalty shoot-out victory sees Blues in League Cup semi-final
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 1 v Newcastle United 1
( Chelsea win 4-2 on penalties)
Djordje Petrovic executed a sensational penalty save as Chelsea reached the semi-final of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.
With the score at 1-1 after 90 minutes, the game moved to penalties to decide the winner
Already trailing 4-2 Newcastle's sub Matt Ritchie produced a wonderful shot, high to his right. The effort seemed destined to smash the back of the net. But the Serbia-born goalkeeper stretched his frame to within breaking point and parried the ball away before he was crushed by his joyful team-mates.
The Blues were seconds away from another devastating defeat – trailing 1-0 to a first-half Callum Wilson goal.
As the game drifted in to added time, Ukraine substitute Mudryk took advantage of a sloppy error by Kieran Tripper at the far post and he snatched the equaliser with a last-gasp strike to take the match to penalties.
And it was Tripper again who pushed the match towards the west Londoners when he shot wide.
And then the fateful moment for Petrovic
It was an energetic start by both sides as their counter-attacks, yielding corners rather than goal-scoring opportunities.
Chelsea skipper Conor Gallagher can feel a tad annoyed his clipped, curling half-volley on seven minutes from just outside the Newcastle penalty area saw the ball rebound off the crossbar with Martin Dubravka well beaten.
But on 16 minutes, the visitors took the lead and it might just have been straight off the Christmas panto show.
Levi Colwill misplaced a pass was not picked up properly by Moises Caicedo. Callum Wilson was on the ball in lightening speed. He ran straight through the empty Chelsea half but still had to get past central defenders Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile.
The veteran defender make a limp attempt to snatch the ball, it failed, on went Wilson. France defender Badiashile then fell over his own feet , allowing , a now surprised Wilson the chance to tuck home past Djordje Petrovic, with a smart outside of the right boot curler.
Sterling was desperate for someone to follow up on his run and side shot which cruised across the goal-line on 28 minutes.
But there was no one.
A minute later and the former England winger was in the right spot to latch onto a Gallagher byline cutback. But, while the shot was on target, it was straight at Dubravka who managed to successfully parry the ball away to safety.
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino opted to bring on big striker Armando Broja on 31 m9njutes – off went Enzo.
He went straight down the tunnel, suggesting another injury for the west Londoners to contend with.
A temporary surge by the home side put pressure on Newcastle who, to use the modern parlance had a low block – we call it a 4:5:1 formation.
Chelsea replaced Colwill with Malo Gusto at half-time.
The first chance after the restart fell to Jackson – who shot wide, the second to Sterling, who forced a good save from Dubravka.
This forced Pochettino to make good his pre-match promise that striker Christopher Nkunku would make his proper debut.
The France attacking midfielder injured his knee in the summer following his £52million-pound transfer from RB Leipzig.
He came on for misfiring Jackson on 68 minutes.
He was followed onto the pitch by Ian Maatsen and Mykhailo Mudryk who took Axel Disasi and Sterling's places on 78 minutes.
Tino Livramento almost scored an own goal for his former club, but his header back to goal, went inches wide of the net, with Gallagher a tad late in anticipating the ball and following up.
Gallagher tried his best to snatch a penalty late in but referee Jarred Gillett was having none of it.
The four added minutes at the end of the regulation 90 looked like it would end in defeat for the Blues, but luck finally served them well.
Suddenly up stepped Mudryk at the far post to nip ahead of substitute Kieran Tripper who controlled the ball poorly allowing the Ukraine to slot home from a tight angle.
And so it went to penalties.
Up first to face the Newcastle fans in the Shed end was Cole Palmer.
Palmer - goal – 1-0
Wilson - goal 1-1
Gallagher - goal 2-1
Tripper - MISS 2-1
Nkunku - goal 3-1
Guimaraes - goal 3-2
Mudryk – goal 4-2
Ritchie – MISS 4-2
Teams: Chelsea: Petrovic, Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Colwill, Enzo, Gallagher, Caicedo, Palmer, Sterling, Jackson
Subs:Bettinelli, Bergstrom, Mudryk, Nkunku, Broja, Gusto, Maatsen, Gilchrist, Matos
Newcastle: Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Botman, Livramento, Bruno, Longstaff, Miley, Almiron, Gordon, Wilson
Subs: Karius, Gillespie, Trippier, Dummett, Richie, Hall, Burn, Anthony Murphy
Referee: Jarred Gillett
