Chelsea on Tuesday came back from the brink to reach the League Cup semi-finals with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory against Newcastle United after Mykhailo Mudryk’s last-gasp equalizer.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were joined in the semi-finals by Fulham, who beat Everton on penalties, and second-tier Middlesbrough, 3-0 winners against Port Vale.
Beaten three times in their previous five games, a wretched run that started with their 4-1 loss at Newcastle, Chelsea showed some much needed fighting spirit to win the quarter-final 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Languishing in 10th place in the Premier League, Chelsea were two minutes from being knocked out before Ukraine winger Mudryk came to the rescue with the leveler that set the stage for the Blues’ shoot-out success.
Pochettino’s only silverware as a manager is a French league title and domestic cup with Paris Saint-Germain.
Chelsea’s progress keeps the Argentine in contention for his first trophy in England after he lost the 2014-2015 League Cup final during his time at Tottenham Hotpsur.
“We are so happy. The fans and the club deserve this sort of feeling. It’s a big motivation,” Pochettino said. “We are so young. We are creating a very good bond. This type of result will help us.”
The defeat was a painful blow for Newcastle, who failed in their attempt to avenge last season’s League Cup final loss to Manchester United at Wembley.
After crashing out of the UEFA Champions League group stage, Newcastle’s exit was another setback for the Saudi Arabian-backed club in their bid to land a first major trophy since 1969.
“It hurts a lot. We defended really well, but didn’t get over the line,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said. “It’s a very painful moment for us. We’ll just have to accept it and digest it.”
Fulham moved into the semi-finals for the first time after a 7-6 shoot-out win against Everton following a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
Middlesbrough cruised past third-tier Port Vale to reach the semi-finals for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2003-2004.
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