December 20, (THEWILL) – Chelsea are through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge. The match had ended 1-1 after extra time, with Mykhailo Mudryk netting a last-gasp equaliser in the 92nd minute to send the tie to penalties.
Newcastle had taken a first-half lead through Callum Wilson on a counterattack, and the visitors looked on course for victory until Mudryk capitalised on a mistake from Kieran Trippier to slot home late on.
The Ukrainian’s goal came against the run of play, as Chelsea struggled to create many clear-cut chances over the 90 minutes.
In the shootout, it was Newcastle captain Trippier who faltered first, firing wide of the target to immediately put Chelsea in the ascendency. Matt Ritchie then saw his effort saved by Chelsea’s deputy goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, giving the hosts an insurmountable advantage.
Mauricio Pochettino will be relieved his expensively assembled Chelsea squad showed the character to battle back late on and get through on penalties. For manager Eddie Howe, the focus returns to Newcastle’s league campaign as they seek to qualify for another UEFA Champions League campaign.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
