Chelsea reach semi-finals by beating Newcastle on penalties

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Chelsea 1 Newcastle 1

(Chelsea won 4-2 on penalties)

Chelsea won on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup – after being saved by Mykhailo Mudryk’s stoppage-time equaliser.

Callum Wilson put Newcastle ahead on 16 minutes after a mistake by Benoît Badiashile.

But a howler by Kieran Trippier – who later put his penalty wide – led to Mudryk hauling the Blues level.

They scored all their penalties in the shootout, with Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku and Mudryk netting.

Wilson and Bruno Guimarães scored for the Magpies but, with Trippier having failed to hit the target, Matt Ritchie missing sealed Chelsea’s victory.

The Blues started the game well and almost went ahead when Gallagher fired against the bar.

However, an all-too familiar defensive lapse led to them going behind.

After Moises Caicedo failed to control a poor pass from Levi Colwill, Wilson surged forward and was stopped by  Badiashile only for him to mis-kick and give the ball back to the striker, who finished clinically with the outside of his right foot.

Raheem Sterling had a couple of chances to equalise before half-time but shot wide after a one-two with Caicedo, shortly before seeing a shot blocked on the line by Bruno.

Armando Broja did find the net after being put through by Palmer, but the goal – which would have been his first for Chelsea – was rightly disallowed for offside.

There was more frustration in the second half for the hosts, with Nicolas Jackson shooting wide after being set up by Broja.

Summer signing Nkunku, fit again after a knee injury, came on midway through the second half.

That raised the spirits of the home fans and their team eventually prevailed – thanks partly to Trippier making a total hash of a back-header, enabling Mudryk to pounce.

Chelsea: Petrovic; Disasi (Maatsen 78), Silva, Badiashile, Colwill (Gusto 45); Caicedo, Gallagher, Fernandez (Broja 32); Sterling (Mudryk 78), Jackson (Nkunku 69), Palmer.
Subs not used: Bettinelli, Bergstrom, Gilchrist, Matos.