Carabao Cup: Pochettino stands up for Chelsea after Gary Neville jibe
Chelsea are back in action this evening for the first time since their loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final as they welcome Leeds United for the FA Cup fifth round.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were stopped from winning their first piece of silverware under the Argentine after Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time header rocketed Liverpool to a 1-0 victory at Wembley. Now the Blues must shake off that heartbreak and look to progress further in the next domestic cup comptition.
The FA Cup could be Chelsea’s final opportunity to ensure European football next season – due to their poor Premier League form – but they’ll need to get past a hihg-flying Leeds side. The Championship club are challenging for promotion back to the top flight but will hope for a strong cup run to keep up their winning momentum.
Daniel Farke’s side are currently on a run of nine straight league wins and 12 matches unbeaten in all competitions meaning they should pose a threat to Chelsea who will still be feeling the effects of Sunday’s final.
Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:
Chelsea 0-1 Leeds
14 mins: Ethan Ampadu displays the growing confidence of Leeds United by collecting the ball and taking a shot just outside the penalty area.
His effort is blocked by Mykhailo Mudryk who then takes over and helps Chelsea sweep up the pitch.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:46
Chelsea 0-1 Leeds
12 mins: Raheem Sterling receives the ball on the left wing and runs it into the box. His pass gets blocked but the ball comes back to him.
Sterling rolls it back to Enzo Fernandez who takes a shot from range but pulls it wide of the target.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:44
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Leeds (Joseph, 8’)⚽️
8 mins: Implosion from Chelsea!
They stupidly give the ball away inside their own penalty area trying to play out from the back. Axel Disasi is at fault with the shocking pass to Moises Caicedo.
Leeds square it to Mateo Joseph who curls a fine effort around Robert Sanchez to send Leeds ahead.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:41
Chelsea 0-0 Leeds
6 mins: Chelsea are the ones controlling possession over these opening minutes with Leeds attempting to press high up the pitch. The Blues break down the right side and work the ball to Noni Madueke.
He weaves inside, rolls the ball onto his left-foot and tries to slip a pass to Mykhailo Mudryk only for the ball to get intercepted.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:39
Chelsea 0-0 Leeds
3 mins: Alfie Gilchrist is almost caught early on by Daniel James bombing up the middle of the pitch. He cuts the ball back to his goalkeeper Robert Sanchez who manages to clear James despite the charge from the Leeds forward.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:34
Kick off! Chelsea 0-0 Leeds
Chelsea get the ball rolling at Stamford Bridge and work it over to the right flank. The ball is flicked on for Nicolas Jackson but he is unable to keep it in play.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:32
Chelsea vs Leeds
The players make their way onto the pitch ahead of this FA Cup tie. It should be a cracker, kick off is up next…
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:29
Chelsea want to win every competition says Pochettino
“Of course, we wanted to win the Carabao Cup, like we want to win the FA Cup, we want to win the Premier League, we want to win every competition,” said Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“That is always the objective at the start of the season, but now the reality is to see if we can qualify to play in Europe next season. It is going to be tough, because of the circumstances and because of the reality.
“Our responsibility is always to match expectations, but the problem is when expectations and reality are not close. When they are close it is easy. We are working hard so that people trust in us, but we need to be patient because we are building in a different way to succeed and always it is about time.
“The owners arrived with the right intention and they want to build something different from the past, which we need to understand. We are part of this and want to move this project forward. We have ups and downs, but it is only the beginning.”
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:20
Chelsea vs Leeds
Enzo Fernandez scored in both of Chelsea’s FA Cup wins this season, netting in the third round against Preston and a fourth round replay at Aston Villa. The last player to score in each of the third, fourth, and fifth rounds of a single FA Cup campaign was for the club was Pedro in 2016/17.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:15
Chelsea vs Leeds
Leeds United are looking to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2002/03. They have been eliminated from the competition three times at this stage since then including a 2-0 loss to Fulham last season.
Mike Jones28 February 2024 19:10
									 
					
