by For 92 minutes Chelsea were wasting away and disrespecting them. Nicolas Jackson missed chances and Raheem Sterling missed passes. Axel Disasi advanced from right back, considered an overlap and then checked back. Armando Broja spent the afternoon distracted as Newcastle took the lead when Benoît Badashile became confused as he tried to clear Callum Wilson.
It looked like Wilson’s early goal would be enough for Newcastle to move on from the disappointment of going out of the Champions League. Instead, Eddie Howe was left to nurse more injured players as his side stayed for their second trophy of the week. Because of this Kieran Trippier, normally such a reliable defender, has had a complete failure of the system and looks like he needs a good lie in over the Christmas period.
Related: Fulham edge Everton on penalties to reach Carabao Cup semi-finals
Fatigue may have affected Trippier, who has already struggled against Everton and Tottenham this month. Chelsea had the upper hand in the second half but were losing their cool as the final whistle approached. They went sideways and backwards, making life easy for Newcastle, and Sterling was booked for diving. It would be interesting to hear the reaction from the home fans if Newcastle were on.
But sometimes seasons change in the blink of an eye. Out of nowhere, Stamford Bridge went wild when Trippier allowed Chelsea substitute Mykhailo Mudryk to equalize in the second minute of added time. Mauricio Pochettino exploded, the frustration pouring out of the head coach, and with a win he could praise his side’s display. It was better not to wait for Chelsea’s failures before Mudryk changed the complex of the whole event.
Pochettino wanted to progress to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup to give his young team a boost. He will note that Stamford Bridge finally rallied after Djordje Petrovic, making his second start in goal for Chelsea, secured a 4-2 shootout win by saving Matt Ritchie’s penalty.
Of course, Trippier had already made his mark on the world. Chelsea responded by converting all their penalties, although the night was not entirely positive. The club and the Metropolitan Police are investigating after home fans invaded the pitch following Mudryk’s goal and appeared to barge Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle left with grievances. Emil Krafth left long ago after being caught by Levi Colwill and Anthony Gordon was limped off. Howe also hinted that Moisés Caicedo could have been sent off for a foul on Gordon during the opening exchanges.
The attack did not intimidate Newcastle, even though they had 11 absent. Chelsea took an early lead, Conor Gallagher hitting the bar, but the visitors were able to do it. Bruno Guimarães, Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff were soon leading the pace in midfield.
Newcastle’s eagerness to pick up loose balls played a role as they broke away from a Chelsea corner to strike first in the 16th minute. So, too, a curse passed from Colwill to Caicedo. Wilson took over and from there it was a mess. The Newcastle striker was isolated and, although he curled past Thiago Silva, the chance looked to be gone when the ball ran away. It came to the fore again when a Badiashile error allowed Wilson to dribble the ball past Petrovic.
Chelsea grew frantic. Sterling shot wide and saw a goalkeeping effort blocked by Guimarães. Broja came on for the sick Enzo Fernández. Cole Palmer shot too close to Dubravka. The temperature was boiling when Colwill surpassed Krafth.
Colwill did not have a good game. Miguel Almirón aimed at left back, who made way for Malo Gusto at half-time. However, the game was opening up for Chelsea. Newcastle made changes, Dan Burn and Trippier replacing Krafth and Sven Botman at the back. Then they lost Gordon, who pulled up during a counterattack.
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Chelsea poured on. Jackson fired wide. Sterling was blocked by Dubravka. There was a roar when Pochettino brought on Christopher Nkunku for a late start in the 69th minute. No pressure. It was the £51m forward’s first appearance since injuring his knee in training. Chelsea could not expect too much from him.
There were more cries when Sterling hit a pass to Nkunku. Pochettino thought an attempted clearance from Tino Livramento was going in. Gallagher then appealed for a penalty when Livramento challenged. There was no luck then – until Trippier tried to return Gusto’s cross to Dubravka and Mudryk quickly got up. Chelsea’s momentum surged. Battered and exhausted, Newcastle felt drained again.
