Chelsea survive Leicester scare to book place in FA Cup semi-finals

Chelsea secured their spot in the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 4-2 victory over Leicester City, thanks to Carney Chukwuemeka's decisive late goal, marking their eighth win in the last nine head-to-head meetings.

In a repeat of the 2021 final, Chelsea, who were defeated on that occasion, started the game strongly in front of a packed crowd at Stamford Bridge. Their positive beginning was rewarded with the first goal of the game after 13 minutes.

Nicholas Jackson's impressive speed down the right side left Jannik Vestergaard trailing behind, allowing the Colombian striker to deliver a perfect cross for an unmarked Marc Cucurella to score at the back post.

The visitors almost faced further trouble before the half-hour mark when Abdul Fatawu brought down Raheem Sterling in the box, resulting in a penalty. However, Jakub Stolarczyk saved the day by diving the right way to deny Sterling's spot-kick.

Stolarczyk was tested again soon after with a powerful shot from Mykhailo Mudryk. Sterling missed a great chance to extend the lead just before half-time, but quickly made amends by setting up Cole Palmer to score from close range.

Leicester, who had lost six of their last seven quarter-final appearances, were handed a lifeline in the 51st minute when Axel Disasi's wayward back-pass ended up in the net with Robert Sanchez stranded.

Incredibly, the Foxes equalized in spectacular fashion just after the hour mark, as Stephy Mavididi curled a brilliant shot into the corner of the net, leaving Sanchez with no chance.

Leicester's aspirations of completing the comeback were then dealt a significant blow when VAR intervened and recommended that Callum Doyle's initial yellow card be changed to a red card for a cynical foul as the last man on Jackson.

In the end, Chelsea were able to take advantage of their numerical superiority in stoppage time. Palmer's exceptional backheel set up substitute Chukwuemeka to shoot the ball through Stolarczyk's legs, and Noni Madueke's powerful long-range shot ensured Pochettino's team secured the victory.

Chelsea won't have to wait long to discover their opponents in the semi-finals. The draw is scheduled to take place immediately after the conclusion of the Manchester United vs Liverpool game later this afternoon.