Premier League leaders, Chelsea beat League One side Peterborough United 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup 3rd round last night to progress further in the competition. Two goals from Pedro and one each from Michy Batshuayi and Willian gave the Blues a comfortable victory.
After cruising to a 3-0 lead, the Blues went down to 10 men in the second half after captain John Terry got sent off. They killed off the game despite a small scare when Peterborough made it 3-1.
Also Read: Chelsea News: Eden Hazard says he prefer to win the FA Cup over the Premier LeagueHere are the major talking points from the game.
#1 Peterborough scare Chelsea early on
The minnows from League One certainly gave Chelsea something to think about in the opening exchanges of the game, just like a proper FA Cup tie. They nearly took the lead in the 9th minute when striker Lee Angol was found in the box by a sublime cross by Maddison. However, Begovic made a crucial save to deny the visitors a goal.
Peterborough did not stop there and continued to attack, making a number of flowing moves taking shots at the Blues goal. Angol caused problems for Chelsea at the back and Cahill had to step in and make a last-ditch challenge to thwart the danger.
Peterborough did not sit back and defend like most teams would against a Premier League club. They forced the issue and took the game to Chelsea early on and were unlucky not to find the back of the net.
#2 Pedro delights at the Bridge once again
Pedro had quite a poor first season at Chelsea when he joined the club but this season he has turned it around in style. The Spanish winger has been amongst the goals in key games and has been playing superbly since the switch to 3-4-3.
Last night was no different for the ex-Barcelona player, he ended the game scoring two and assisting Willian’s goal. He scored an early goal to get Chelsea up and running with a calm and composed finish. After 3 shots on goal in the space on 10 seconds by Chelsea the ball fell to Pedro and he cut inside and found the top corner in the 18th minute making it 1-0.
He then assisted Willian for his goal after cutting in from the left flank and capped off a solid performance with another goal in the 74th minute despite his team being down to 10 men. Pedro’s resurgence has aided Chelsea’s good form this season.
#3 Michy Batshuayi and Willian take their chances when given a start
Belgian striker, Michy Batshuayi was finally given a start last night and led the Chelsea front line well in the absence of Diego Costa. The 23-year-old held up play well, bringing his team-mates into the game and was involved heavily with a number of chances on the night.
There was a penalty shout on the half-hour mark when he turned the Peterborough centre-back Tafazoli but the referee deemed it as a slip. He then threatened with a shot just a minute later. The youngster finally got his goal after Ruben Loftus-Cheek passed the ball to tee him up inside the box in the 43rd minute, finishing well to the keeper’s right.
Brazilian winger, Willian was no less dangerous as he constantly threatened the Peterborough defence. The winger finally seems to be regaining form after the passing of his mother. He scored a well-taken goal in the 52nd minute after Pedro passed the ball to him with a well-guided shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Both Batshuayi and Willian are putting their chances away when given a start and it should give Antonio Conte something to think about before selecting his starting lineup.
#4 John Terry sees red on his return to the lineup
It wasn’t the best return to the side for Chelsea captain, John Terry, after months out of the side. He was caught out for his lack of pace and uncharacteristically poor positioning early on in the game by the visitors but he recovered gradually.
However, the long-standing Chelsea captain was left exposed on a Peterborough breakaway and instead of making the ground and trying to cover up positionally, he lunged into Angol with a poorly timed challenge that sent the player to the floor.
He was deemed by the referee as the last defender on that break although cameras showed Ivanovic was positioned slightly behind him. He was given his marching orders by the referee in the 66th minute.While it didn’t hamper Chelsea’s stroll to victory, it is clear that the legendary Chelsea captain is fast approaching the end of his career.
#5 Peterborough score but N’Golo Kante comes on and Chelsea look like 11 again
N’Golo Kante has often been referred to as two players in one body because of his ability to cover every blade of grass. Last night in the FA Cup, it was a further justification for that claim.
After Terry was sent off, Cezar Azpilicueta was sent on, but the Blues conceded a goal in the 70th minute. Nichols scored after great play down the right flank by Peterborough’s Michael Smith. It was a deserved goal for the minnows although they were second best in the game, that being said they did fight till the very end.
However, to make sure Chelsea didn’t concede more Antonio Conte sent on N’Golo Kante just three minutes after they let Peterborough score in the 73rd minute. As soon as the Frenchman was brought on the pitch, he went about his work disrupting play and covering the entire field.
Chelsea looked like they had eleven players on the pitch again even though they were actually ten. They had more possession and built more attacks and even wrapped up the game with Pedro’s second goal. It was indeed the N’Golo Kante effect.
