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Chelsea booked their place in the Carabao Cup semifinals with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory against Newcastle United after a hard-earned 1-1 draw on Tuesday (December 19).
Moises Caicedo was somewhat fortunate VAR was not in use when he left his studs on Anthony Gordon's calf in just the second minute. The Ecuadorian was handed a yellow card by referee Jarred Gillet.
Conor Gallagher then nearly scored a memorable goal in the seventh minute when the stand-in skipper rattled the frame of the goal. The English midfielder sent an audacious strike towards Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka's goal but it hit the upright.
The Blues found themselves 1-0 down seven minutes later courtesy of some horrid defending from Benoit Badiashile. Callum Wilson raced forward before being intercepted by the French defender.
However, Badiashile lost control of the ball, allowing Wilson to pounce and he fired past Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic. It was a disastrous moment for the Blues center-back and one he won't want to watch back.
The hosts' night went from bad to worse in the 31st minute as they were forced to bring off Enzo Fernandez. The Argentina international was feeling unwell and was replaced by Armando Broja.
Chelsea showed signs of life throughout the first half but they were their own worst enemy as they sloppily lost possession leading to Wilson's strike. They had 45 minutes to try and keep their hopes of Carabao Cup glory alive.
Nicolas Jackson had a golden opportunity to level matters in the 55th minute. The Colombian striker shot wide after some good play from Malo Gusto and Broja. Mauricio Pochettino's men were knocking on the Magpies' door.
Chelsea went close in the 85th minute when Mykhailo Mudryk sent an asking cross into the visitors' box. Tivo Livramento's attempted headed clearance nearly ended up finding Gallagher at the back post.
It was then calamity from Kieran Trippier which presented Mudryk with the opportunity to equalize in the 90+1st minute. The English right-back tried heading the ball back to Dubravka but it gifted the Blues attacker with an easy chance that he took with aplomb to equalize.
The quarterfinal headed to a penalty shootout and Petrovic became the Stamford Bridge hero. Cole Palmer, Wilson, and Gallagher all converted their spot-kicks before Trippier stepped up to try and redeem himself.
However, Trippier sent his effort deflecting off the post, and wide Nkunku and Bruno Guimaraes fired home their respective penalties. Petrovic then produced a stunning save to deny Matt Richie to seal Chelsea's place in the semifinals.
One fan hailed Petrovic for his heroics:
"Petrovic you legend."
Another fan mocked Trippier after his calamitous performance by pointing out how he once was a Blues fan:
"Trippier is a Blue."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the west Londoners crashing out of the Carabao Cup:
Chelsea duo Enzo Fernandez and Benoit Badiashile reportedly played despite being unwell
English journalist Nathan Gissing (via CFCPys) reports that both Fernandez and Badiashile felt ill before tonight's game but were eager to play. The duo had nights to forget for contrasting reasons.
Fernandez was dropped to the bench in Chelsea's 2-0 win against Sheffield United on Saturday (December 16). The Argentine midfielder came on in the 69th minute and Pochettino explained that it was a tactical decision not to start him. He said (via Metro):
"You can only play 11. It’s a big competition and sometimes you need one characteristic, or one profile or another profile, and you need to choose the player."
Meanwhile, Badiashile played the entire 90 minutes of the Blues' win over the Blades. The Frenchman has recently returned from a spell out of the team due to various fitness issues.
It appears both players were struggling with illness before tonight's clash with Newcastle. Pochettino will be eager to have a full squad available ahead of a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday (December 24).
