Carney Chukwuemeka saved Chelsea in an FA Cup quarterfinal drama on Sunday, inspiring a 4-2 victory against 10-man Leicester with a stoppage-time goal. It was lucky for Mauricio Pochettino's team to withstand a stirring. fightback from Leicester, the Championship's aspiring promotion team, amid a mutinous crowd at Stamford Bridge. In the final moments, Chukwuemeka scored to spare Chelsea the humiliation of having to go into extra time. Chelsea's fourth goal made sure the irate supporters who jeered Pochettino in the second half were, for the time being at least, quieted.
The Blues have reached the FA Cup last four for the sixth time in the previous eight years. However, Blues manager Jorge Pochettino's team's inconsistency cost them the two-goal lead that Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer had given them at halftime. It was far from a glorious afternoon for Pochettino's club. Between both goals, Axel Disasi gave Leicester hope early in the second half with a ridiculous own goal, and Raheem Sterling missed a penalty. Chelsea was rocked once more by Stephy Mavididi's stunning equalizer, as the unfortunate Sterling faced the fury of the home crowd.
However, Callum Doyle of Leicester was dismissed for a professional foul on Nicolas Jackson, which allowed the Blues to mount a late comeback. Six years after their last FA Cup victory, Chelsea had not won a single domestic trophy. The West London team is stuck in 11th position in the Premier League, and manager Mauricio Pochettino, who formerly oversaw Southampton and Tottenham, has failed to bring home a trophy from England. Pochettino disclosed this week, under growing pressure following a turbulent first season in charge, that a few of Chelsea's younger players had a restless night before their defeat by Liverpool in the League Cup final in February.
Gaining the FA Cup would provide Pochettino the much-needed breathing room he needed to make amends. Nicolas Jackson raced past Jannik Vestergaard into the Leicester area in the thirteenth minute to give Chelsea the lead. Cucurella finished the low cross from close range. The goal marked the Spanish defender's first since August 2022, when he moved from Brighton to Chelsea.
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