.
Subscribe to receive Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter directly to your email for no cost.
Subscribe to Miguel Delaney’s weekly newsletter for free.
Mauricio Pochettino praised the important win as Chelsea recovered from their heartbreaking Carabao Cup final loss on Sunday to defeat Leeds and advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Conor Gallagher, who failed to convert two excellent opportunities in the final moments of regular time against Liverpool at Wembley, was subbed in and scored the deciding goal at Stamford Bridge, leading the Championship team to a 3-2 victory and advancing them to the quarter-finals where they will face Leicester.
Axel Disasi and Moises Caicedo paired up to present Mateo Joseph with a goal in the eighth minute, however the Blues were able to turn the tide before halftime as Nicolas Jackson scored the equalizer and Raheem Sterling assisted Mykhailo Mudryk to make it 2-1.
Before the 60-minute mark, Leeds scored to tie the game thanks to a goal by Joseph through a header. However, Enzo Fernandez assisted Gallagher in scoring, preventing the need for extra time and securing Chelsea’s advancement.
Pochettino stated, “This outcome was necessary for us.” He acknowledged that the performance was not exceptional and recognized Leeds as a formidable team with high levels of confidence, performing successfully in the Championship.
“Conceding early on was challenging for us, but the resilience we displayed afterwards is something the team can learn from. I am very pleased that we were able to avoid extra time and achieve our goal of making it to the quarter-finals.”
Losing a final in overtime is always difficult. We only had 72 hours or less to recuperate, which added to the challenge. The players gave a tremendous effort and I am grateful to them for their immense dedication.
Pochettino reiterated his rejection of Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville’s jibe that Chelsea had “bottled” the Carabao Cup final against a Liverpool side bested by injuries.
“I cannot be angry about (Neville),” he said. “With all my love to Gary, it’s not fair to use this type of word for a team that is so brave, a club that always fights for big things.
“What options do we have? We must demonstrate our bravery and ability to win games through this level of performance. There is nothing to say except to continue striving forward.”
This is of little significance to us. We are aware of our character and actions, including the reason for our loss against Liverpool. This matter is unrelated.
We are aware of our courage and our diligent efforts. The comment does not hold significance for us.
Daniel Farke, the manager of Leeds, looked back on a match where Chelsea’s precise scoring led to a loss for his team.
“That second goal scored by Mudryk was a fantastic finish,” he stated. “The third goal was a great play by Gallagher.”
I am feeling let down because we always aim to emerge victorious no matter where we play. Although I am aware that it is not feasible for us to win the FA Cup, I had hoped to win this match and advance to the next round. Our team is quite young and we are missing some important players.
Source: independent.co.uk
