In a thrilling finish, Chelsea secured a dramatic victory over Leeds United to advance to the FA Cup quarter-finals, with Conor Gallagher netting the decisive goal in the final moments of the match.
As the exciting fifth-round encounter unfolded at Stamford Bridge, it appeared destined for extra time until the English international found himself unmarked in the penalty area and calmly lifted the ball past Illan Meslier for the winning goal.
This victory sustains Chelsea’s aspirations of clinching a trophy following their recent 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
Should Mauricio Pochettino’s team emerge victorious at home against Championship leaders Leicester City in March, they will earn a trip back to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals.
Pochettino, who assumed the managerial role in July, expressed optimism about the team’s progress, acknowledging that further development would require additional time.
“The expectation is massive because we are Chelsea, but this team needs to build and build the confidence,” said Pochettino. “The unity is starting to grow, it’s not magic, you can’t just create it.
“It’s difficult because of the expectations. You need to find the right balance and need time so they can perform.
“In the past four weeks we are doing fantastically, the team are fighting and starting to behave like a team.”
Chelsea fell behind early on when a defensive error led to Mateo Joseph scoring his first senior goal as Leeds went ahead after only nine minutes.
But the visitors, second in the second tier, were only leaders for six minutes.
Nicolas Jackson leveled the score at 1-1 with a well-placed shot from Moises Caicedo’s delivery, but Chelsea regained the lead in the 37th minute through Mykhailo Mudryk, who finished Raheem Sterling’s pass into the bottom corner.
Despite Chelsea’s advantage, Leeds displayed dominance at the beginning of the second half and found a deserved equalizer as Joseph completed his brace with a header at the back post, meeting Jaidon Anthony’s superb cross.
Anthony had two opportunities to put Leeds ahead but was unable to capitalize, before substitute Gallagher ultimately secured victory for Chelsea.
Under-fire Chelsea battle for victory
In 2021, Chelsea secured the Champions League title and followed it with triumphs in both the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. However, their Premier League performance dipped significantly in the 2022-23 season, finishing 12th and missing out on European qualification. Presently, they occupy the 11th spot in the league standings and face the risk of another season without continental football in 2024-25.
Since the club’s acquisition by a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital in May 2022, Chelsea has spent over £1 billion on transfer fees.
Despite their recent successes, criticism mounted following their defeat to a youthful Liverpool side in the Carabao Cup final, with former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville branding Chelsea as the ‘blue billion-pound bottle jobs.’
Manager Pochettino defended his team, labeling Neville’s remarks as unfair and suggesting they stemmed from frustration over Liverpool’s success. He emphasized the youthfulness of his squad and deemed the criticism unwarranted.
While facing potential backlash had they been eliminated from the FA Cup, Chelsea managed to secure victory against Leeds United, despite being outplayed for significant periods in the second half. Conor Gallagher acknowledged the need for Chelsea to respond positively to their critics.
“It [the final loss] was a big disappointment and we wanted to bounce back and give the fans something to celebrate, and we managed to do that,” said Gallagher.
“It has been a really tough few days and everyone has been down but we had to make sure we were right because it was such an important game and the boys dug deep to get the win.”
Daniel Farke’s Leeds team should take pride in their efforts and shift their attention to their primary objective of securing promotion back to the Premier League.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, Farke expressed his “very proud” sentiments regarding his team’s performance but acknowledged Chelsea’s clinical edge.
“In the second half we had more possession, more shots at goal and more expected goals,” he added.
“It was no coincidence we scored the second goal, we wanted to dominate possession in order to stick to our beliefs – many compliments to my young lads.”