Published on 08.02.2024
In a remarkable turn of events, Chelsea has emerged from the crisis that has been overshadowing the club.
They displayed an impressive performance against Aston Villa in their FA Cup fourth-round replay.
Despite Aston Villa’s strong home form this season, Chelsea managed to outshine them with their attacking prowess. This victory has taken some pressure off manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose short tenure at Stamford Bridge was under intense scrutiny following a 4-2 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Every angle of Enzo Fernandez’s free kick from last night.
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Chelsea’s cup performances have become instrumental in rescuing their season. They have already secured a spot in the EFL Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley on 25 February. Furthermore, this game against Villa showcased one of their best performances this campaign. It is worth noting that Villa had lost only two out of sixteen games played on home turf prior to this encounter.
The match started with Conor Gallagher putting Chelsea ahead after just eleven minutes with a composed right-foot finish at the Holte End. Shortly after, Nicolas Jackson doubled the lead with an excellent header from Malo Gusto’s cross.
After the break, Enzo Fernandez scored an exceptional 25-yard free-kick for Villa, extinguishing any hopes they had of a comeback. The shot found the top corner, just out of reach for Villa’s goalkeeper and fellow Argentina World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez. However, in stoppage time, substitute Moussa Diaby managed to pull one back for Villa. Unfortunately for them, this goal did not offer much consolation as Chelsea emerged victorious. Now, Chelsea will be facing Leeds United at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round.
Chelsea’s reputation has taken a hit recently to such an extent that even considering a victory for Pochettino’s side before kick-off was seen as an FA Cup shock. This is unsurprising when you consider the current standings of both teams. Villa currently sits in fourth place and is fighting to secure Champions League football while Chelsea has been struggling to find consistency on the field lately. Their struggles have been highlighted by conceding four goals against Liverpool and Wolves in their last two matches.
