Chelsea scrape through by beating Norwich on penalties
Chelsea 1 Norwich 1
(After extra time – Chelsea won 5-4 on penalties)
Chelsea prevailed in a penalty shoot-out to secure a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The Blues, who had Pedro and Alvaro Morata sent off in extra time, were leading through Michy Batshuayi’s goal and seconds away from victory when Jamal Lewis headed Championship side Norwich level right at the end of normal time.
Chelsea, who will be at home to Newcastle in round four, scored all their penalties in the shoot-out, with Eden Hazard slotting home the winning kick after Willian, David Luiz, Cesar Azpilicueta and N’Golo Kante had all netted.
Willy Caballero’s save from Nélson Oliveira for Norwich’s first penalty proved decisive.
There was controversy in extra time when referee Graham Scott did not award Chelsea a penalty after Timm Klose tripped Willian, who was booked for diving.
It appeared that Scott opted not to use VAR, which would have shown contact was made with Willian.
But there were also suggestions that the fourth official informed Scott that VAR had shown his original decision was not an obvious mistake.
Pedro was dismissed in the 117th minute after a foul on Wes Hoolahan earned the Spaniard a second yellow card.
And when Morata was booked for diving after going down in the penalty area under a challenge from Christoph Zimmermann, his reaction immediately brought a second yellow card, for dissent.
In an action-packed replay, both teams hit the woodwork before Batshuayi netted 10 minutes into the second half, finishing nicely after being found by Kenedy’s ball in from the left.
That looked like being enough to take Chelsea through, but they switched off at the back and Lewis headed in Klose’s left-wing cross.
Batshuayi struggled for much of the game and a mistake by the striker nearly led to a Norwich goal during a first half Chelsea largely dominated.
Danny Drinkwater almost put them ahead with a 30-yard strike that crashed against the woodwork after the slightest touch from Canaries keeper Angus Gunn.
Drinkwater had earlier also gone close for Chelsea, firing narrowly wide from 25 yards after being teed up by Willian.
As Chelsea continued to press, Gunn pushed away a shot from Willian, Azpilicueta was just unable to make contact with Tiemoue Bakayoko’s flick-on from a corner, and Willian sent a volley wide.
Having been on the back foot for most of the half, Norwich almost went ahead when Batshuayi’s stray pass in his own penalty area set up Oliveira, whose shot bounced off the top of the bar.
That lifted the visitors, who threatened again when Oliveira shot wide after getting away from Azpilicueta.
Chelsea reasserted their authority and broke the deadlock soon after the interval, although Norwich twice went close to equalising before eventually scoring.
Josh Murphy fired against the post and Caballero produced a fine save to deny James Maddison but was unable to rescue his team when Lewis pounced to score.
Morata was unable to take two chances to score during extra time and Chelsea’s difficult night continued with them being reduced to nine men before they eventually scraped through
Chelsea: Caballero; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Ampadu (Christensen 81); Zappacosta, Bakayoko, Drinkwater (Hazard 100), Kenedy (Kante 86); Willian, Batshuayi (Morata 81), Pedro.
Subs not used: Eduardo, Sterling, Musonda.
