This was a rip-roaring cup tie, the outcome of which may well serve to propel Chelsea to an inspired final few months of the league campaign as well as another cup run. On the other hand, most of those streaming out of Stamford Bridge may well wonder how it was that Leeds United failed to capitalise fully on a performance that was so high on confidence and ebullience that there was no gulf in class whatsoever.
Chelsea’s reward is a quarter-final tie at home to another Sky Bet Championship club seemingly heading back to the Premier League, and Leicester City will take heart from how Leeds carved out 13 shots and matched the home team in terms of possession.
After the club’s defeat at Wembley in the EFL Cup on Sunday, Chelsea had been subjected to more opprobrium than they would have received had they been knocked out at the quarter-final stage when they met Newcastle United. This is partly because the defeat by Liverpool exposed on a big stage the frailties of an expensively assembled squad.
Was this victory a means to finally end the repetition of Gary Neville’s description of Chelsea as “Blue billion-pound bottle jobs”?
“It is not fair to use this type of word for a team that is so brave and a club that is always showing it fights for big things,” Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach, said. “What can we do? Now only with this type of performance show that we are brave, can win games.”
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Leeds United arrived in west London having not won at Stamford Bridge since 1999. The teams contested one of the feistiest ever FA Cup finals back in 1970, which was won in a replay by Chelsea, a feat commemorated on the front of the match programme with an image of floppy, sweaty fringes, muddy socks and a sense of euphoria that has been lacking of late among the fans.
An early chance for Raheem Sterling was fluffed badly, and moments later a very loose ball out of defence by Axel Disasi was gobbled up by Archie Gray, who startled Moisés Caicedo, to whom Disasi had been hoping to pass. Jaidon Anthony then took charge and calmly laid the ball off to Mateo Joseph, whose finish was assured past Robert Sánchez, back in goal after 2½ months out through injury. The celebrations in the away end were marred when a supporter fell from the top tier of the Shed End and was taken to hospital.
Some crisp passing set up the equaliser with Caicedo slipping a beautifully weighted ball through to Nicolas Jackson. Noni Madueke hit the ball with verve into the side-netting after a period of pressure from the home side, and it had the effect of giving Daniel Farke’s players a sense of reprieve and with it the optimism to attack once more. Chelsea held firm and took the lead with a neatly crafted goal, with the oft maligned Mykhailo Mudryk connecting breezily with Sterling’s pass.
Leeds ended the first half promisingly. Anthony came close for Leeds after teeing himself up for a rasping strike and then Joël Piroe made simple work of a long dribble through midfield to force a corner kick.
Farke’s team began the second period in the same vein. They were relaxed and thoughtful as well as energised. As the Leeds players passed the ball back and forth just outside the opposition penalty area, Conor Gallagher, warming up on the touchline, urged his teammates to concentrate and battle.
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An equaliser felt inevitable and sure enough, Anthony’s fine cross was met at the far post by Joseph. The marking was poor but the precision of the move was impressive. Unsurprisingly, the commitment of Gallagher was needed and he came off the bench immediately.
The Championship side were fearless while the Premier League team were not entirely sure how imperious they should try to be. Murmurings of bemusement could be heard among the home crowd as Leeds refused to be cowed and Anthony nearly poached a third — and so Pochettino turned, possibly in desperation, to Cole Palmer. Leeds barely noticed and Anthony attempted a long-range strike. Jackson tumbled in the box but the referee was unmoved.
Farke, sensing the chance to win the tie before the need for extra time, brought pace off the bench in the form of Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville. Chelsea were reduced to playing on the counter, with the visitors very comfortable in the manner of their various interceptions, but just as extra time beckoned, the home team delivered a dose of class with Enzo Fernández feeding the ball through to Gallagher, whose finish was brimming with the sort of confidence many of his team-mates had been lacking.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
Wolves v Coventry City
Manchester United v Liverpool
Chelsea v Leicester City
Manchester City v Newcastle United