Conor Gallagher emerged as the hero for Chelsea, scoring a last-minute winner against Leeds United to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory and propel the Blues into the quarter-finals.
The action-packed match at Stamford Bridge seemed destined for extra time, but the England international, found himself free in the penalty area and clinically lifted the ball past Leeds’ goalkeeper, Illan Meslier in the thrilling FA Cup fifth-round clash.
The victory provides a boost to Chelsea’s quest for silverware after their recent 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
The Blues are now set to face Championship leaders Leicester City in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley in March.
🚨🏆 OFFICIAL: FA Cup quarter finals.
▫️ Manchester United 🆚 Liverpool
▫️ Wolves 🆚 Coventry
▫️ Chelsea 🆚 Leicester City
▫️ Manchester City 🆚 Newcastle pic.twitter.com/bryhNZST71— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 28, 2024
Pochettino, who took charge of Chelsea in July, acknowledged the challenges the team faced and emphasised the need for time to build confidence and unity.
“The expectation is massive because we are Chelsea, but this team needs to build and build the confidence,” said Pochettino. “The unity is starting to grow, it’s not magic, you can’t just create it.”
Despite falling behind early with Mateo Joseph’s opener for Leeds, Chelsea quickly responded with goals from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk. However, Leeds fought back with Joseph netting his second to level the score.
The match showcased the resilience of both teams, with Leeds having opportunities to take the lead before Gallagher’s late heroics secured Chelsea’s passage to the next round.
Chelsea will look to carry this momentum into their upcoming Premier League clash against Brentford on Saturday.
“It [the final loss] was a big disappointment and we wanted to bounce back and give the fans something to celebrate, and we managed to do that,” said Gallagher after the game.
“It has been a really tough few days and everyone has been down but we had to make sure we were right because it was such an important game and the boys dug deep to get the win.”