Chelsea book Carabao Cup semi final slot

By Peter Ochieng

Chelsea needed heroics from two substitutes to beat a stubborn Newcastle United, in order to book the Carabao Cup/EFL Cup semi final slot on Tuesday night.

Winger Mykhailo Mudryk and goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic emerged as Chelsea's heroes in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, as the Blues came back from the brink of defeat to secure a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over the Magpies.

Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino was forced to review his gameplan after just 16 minutes, as Callum Wilson pounced on an error from the Benoit Badiashile to put United ahead.

Chelsea were the better side bossing possession for the better part of the match against a defensive Newcastle side, but had to wait until stoppage time to manage a leveller as substitute Mudryk pounced on a mistake by full back Kieran Trippier.

Like Mudryk, Trippier came on as a substitute. Whereas the Newcastle United defender entered the match to defend United's slim win, Mudryk's role was to stage a Chelsea comeback, and he did just that.

His goal took the game to penalties. Trippier's rough time followed him into penalties as he missed his spot-kick.

Petrovic then made the crucial save from Matt Ritchie's effort to snatch the semi-final place from Newcastle's grasp.

Fulham dumped out Everton via post match penalties while Middlesbrough beat Port Vale 3-0 in the other quarter final match.

Liverpool will face West Ham United tonight in the last quarter final encounter.

Semi final matches will be played between 8th and 22nd January, 2024, before the final is staged on 25th February.