Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle United (19 Dec, 2023) Game Analysis،
Chelsea booked their place in the League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday by beating Newcastle United 4-2 on penalties at Stamford Bridge after substitute Mykhailo Mudryk kept the Blues alive with a 92nd-minute equalizer .
Newcastle looked set to claim a 1-0 victory in west London until Kieran Trippier, on as a substitute, failed to cut out a Malo Gusto cross and allowed Mudryk, also on as a substitute, to head home, leveling the tie at 1. -1 and taking it to penalties.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
England defender Trippier turned a bad night into a disastrous one when he took Newcastle's second penalty before Matt Ritchie saw his effort saved athletically by Chelsea's Djordje Petrovic, making only his second start in goal for the Blues.
“Trips is an incredibly strong character,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told reporters. “When he has given us so much, now it is our turn to support him and care for him in another way and that is what we will do.”
Chelsea had fallen behind in the 16th minute when Callum Wilson, surrounded by Chelsea defenders, pounced on a mistake from Benoit Badiashile who caught the ball at his feet, allowing Wilson to blast past Petrovic.
The hosts dominated possession throughout the match but struggled to break down a well-drilled Newcastle defense.
They brought French striker Christopher Nkunku off the bench for his first competitive appearance for the Londoners after suffering a knee injury in pre-season shortly after his move from RB Leipzig.
But the Blues, who have struggled for a second successive season in the Premier League, looked destined to squander a valuable chance of winning silverware until Mudryk's late strike.
“Obviously it means a lot. Sometimes things happen when you trust yourself and you believe in it until the end,” the Ukrainian, who has struggled to find his feet since signing for Chelsea, told Sky Sports almost a year ago.
“Sometimes when the match is difficult you have to keep attacking and believe in it until the last second, because it’s football and anything can happen.”
Mudryk was one of four Chelsea players to score in the shootout, along with Nkunku, Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher.
Chelsea, who are in their first season under Mauricio Pochettino, are pinning their hopes on the domestic cups as they currently sit 10th in the Premier League and have not qualified for the European competition.
The defeat of Howe's Newcastle – without a major trophy since the 1950s – represents a second blow in the space of a week following their elimination from the Champions League last Wednesday.
