Majestic Blues Overcome FA Cup Hurdle

Paying no heed to their 15-point difference in the Premier League rankings, 11th-placed Chelsea picked up a 3-1 win over fourth-place Aston Villa in their FA Cup Fourth Round replay on Wednesday night (February 7). Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson, and Enzo Fernandez were on the scoresheet for the visitors at Villa Park while Moussa Diaby scored the hosts’ consolation goal.

Chelsea Players Bring Their A Game To Offer Under-Pressure Pochettino Some Respite

Ahead of the game on Wednesday, there were murmurs about Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea future. Many suggested the Argentine would be shown the exit door if his side failed to overcome Aston Villa in the FA Cup. The speculation seemingly reached the players, and they ensured Pochettino would not be without a job just six months after coming on.

It took Chelsea 11 minutes to find the breakthrough on Wednesday, with Gallagher popping up with a thumping finish. Jackson drove into the box and drew a couple of Aston Villa defenders toward him before laying the ball off to Noni Madueke. Madueke spotted Gallagher’s run and set him up with a perfectly weighted pass.

Ten minutes after instigating the opener, Jackson got on the scoresheet himself, applying an excellent headed finish to Malo Gusto’s cross from the right. It was not the best piece of defending from Unai Emery’s side, but Pochettino’s men deserved all the credit for exploiting their weakness. With Fernandez and Moises Caicedo bossing the central midfield area, Villa attackers practically got no service in the first half and went into the tunnel 2-0 down.

Nine minutes into the second half, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Fernandez scored Chelsea’s insurance goal, and it was easily the standout strike of the night. Standing over a free-kick around 30 yards away from Emiliano Martinez’s goal, Fernandez confidently dispatched a right-footed piledriver. Full of pace, the ball swerved to the left and nestled into the top-left corner.

After…

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Author : Sushan Chakraborty

Publish date : 2024-02-08 05:51:15

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