FA Cup
18 March, 2012
Chelsea
Petr Cech
1
Bosingwa
17
Branislav Ivanovic
2
Gary Cahill
24
Ryan Bertrand
34
John Obi Mikel
12
Raul Meireles
16
Daniel Sturridge
23
Juan Mata
10
Salomon Kalou
21
Fernando Torres
9
Substitutes
David Luiz
4
Michael Essien
5
Florent Malouda
15
Paulo Ferreira
19
Frank Lampard
8
Didier Drogba
11
Hilario
40
Leicester City
1
Kasper Schmeichel
12
Sean St Ledger
26
Wes Morgan
6
Souleymane Bamba
3
Paul Konchesky
7
Paul Gallagher
19
Richard Wellens
23
Neil Danns
11
Lloyd Dyer
35
David Nugent
20
Jermaine Beckford
Substitutes
2
Lee Peltier
22
Ben Marshall
27
Jeffrey Schlupp
9
Steven Howard
30
Tom Kennedy
31
Adam Smith
37
Tom Hopper
Referee: Lee Probert
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Marvellous stuff. It looked set to be a pretty dull encounter after Chelsea were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, but goals from both sides in the second half gave the fans their money's worth. A first Fernando Torres goal for what seems like an age on 67 minutes put the Blues three ahead despite Leicester's best efforts. Jermaine Beckford responded ten minutes later with a goal in which Neil Danns did all the hard work, before Torres showed that lightning does strike twice and bagged a brace. Late on, David Marshall netted with an absolute beauty into the top corner, only for Chelsea to make it 5-2 a couple of minutes later through Raul Meireles. I was maybe a little harsh on Leicester at the break – they did what they could after the two early goals despite the odds being stacked against them, and created some decent chances in the second half alongside the two goals. Chelsea turned in a thoroughly professional performance, though, and will fancy their chances of going on to win this competition.
A thoroughly entertaining cup tie comes to an end. Chelsea are through to the FA Cup semi-finals for the fifth time in seven years with 5-2 win over Leicester City.
Goal number seven in this game comes from Raul Meireles! Fernando Torres is the provider, and Meireles slots into the bottom right-hand corner to restore Chelsea's three-goal lead.
A thunderbolt of a goal from young Leicester City sub Ben Marshall! He plays a one-two with Jermaine Beckford, then arrows a shot straight into the top right-hand corner. If the winger ever scores a better goal than that, I'd like to see it.
More selfish play from Daniel Sturridge; this is getting ridiculous. Fernando Torres provides the pass for him, and he goes off on a pointless run with his head down prior to being crowded out.
My goodness, another Fernando Torres goal! He evades his marker to glance in a corner, and Chelsea now lead 4-1.
20-year-old winger Ben Marshall comes on in place of captain Richard Wellens. Leicester City's best player today, Neil Danns, takes up the armband.
Lee Peltier sends a free header over from a Neil Danns corner.
Chelsea come out of a brief Leicester City flurry without Petr Cech being tested. I'm glad Leicester City have a goal to show for their efforts, but I certainly can't see a comeback coming.
Leicester City have themselves a consolation goal. Neil Danns drives forward and cracks a shot against the post, a second before Jermaine Beckford knocks the ball in on the reboud.
David Luiz replaces Branislav Ivanovic. The Napoli game midweek was the best I've seen Luiz play.
Leicester City's best chance of the game falls to Jermaine Beckford. The ball drops fortunately for him off Gary Cahill, and he forces Petr Cech into a magnificent diving save.
A Raul Meireles cross is met with a Daniel Sturridge header that misses wide right.
Daniel Sturridge decides to be a bit more selfless by darting into the box and pulling back to Fernando Torres, leading the recent goalscorer to send the ball a yard over the bar.
Finally, a Fernando Torres goal! Daniel Sturridge sets Raul Meireles on his way into the area, who in turn squares to Chelsea's number nine. Torres bundles in what was admittedly quite an easy finish to take, but that'll be a huge weight off his shoulders.
Daniel Sturridge ignores the easy pass again and chooses to dribble further on himself. His finish is wayward, though.
Nigel Pearson brings on Jeffrey Schlupp for Sean St Ledger, while Chelsea veteran Michael Essien replaces Salomon Kalou.
Lloyd Dyer jinks in from the right, beating Gary Cahill before firing wide of the far post.
The Spaniard this time neatly controls a Ryan Bertrand cross and smashes a shot against Wes Morgan. He deserves a goal for his efforts today.
Fernando Torres' square ball to Daniel Sturridge in the box is cut out by Souleymane Bamba. Probably should have had a shot.
Florent Malouda sends the ball narrowly wide of Kasper Schmeichel's left-hand post from inside the area.
Daniel Sturridge gets the bird from the Chelsea faithful for hogging the ball. Simple passes to Florent Malouda and Fernando Torres were ignored.
Florent Malouda forces Kasper Schmeichel into a fine save low to his left.
Ryan Bertrand skips past a defender and lofts a ball in that is too high for everyone. Daniel Sturridge regains possession on the opposite flank before cutting inside, prompting a superbly-timed sliding challenge from Paul Konchesky.
Chelsea move the ball around with ease in the first few minutes of the half.
Leicester City start the second half. Chelsea's Florent Malouda has come on for Juan Mata.
It's been pretty easy for Chelsea to say the least. The opener came 12 minutes in when Gary Cahill headed in a Juan Mata corner, and Fernando Torres provided the assist for Daniel Sturridge to make it 2-0 shortly afterwards. Only a lack of clinical finishing from Sturridge and Torres prevented Chelsea from adding a third in the minutes following the goal. Leicester offered little in response bar a few chances for Jermaine Beckford, Neil Danns and Lloyd Dyer. Nigel Pearson will be disappointed at how much they've backed off their opponents and let them play, leaving the underdogs with a mountain to climb in the second half.
Chelsea have a comfortable two-goal lead at the halfway stage.
Paul Konchesky and David Nugent link up down the left, before Nugent pulls back to Lloyd Dyer in the box. His first-time effort doesn't find the target.
Two minutes of injury time have been added, although I thought the stoppage forPaul Gallagher's injury would have warranted a bit more than that.
Lee Peltier replaces Paul Gallagher, who seemingly can't make it to half time after twisting his knee.
Neil Danns wins a corner this time. Paul Gallagher's header to meet Paul Konchesky's delivery is blocked.
Paul Gallagher forces a corner with a deflected effort off Gary Cahill. The resulting flag kick along the ground doesn't beat the first man.
Another long ball from deep in the Chelsea half isn't dealt with, giving Fernando Torres plenty of time to bring the ball under control out wide and pull back into the danger zone. The Foxes are fortunate it doesn't quite come off.
Leicester City fail to deal with a Petr Cech punt upfield, allowing Juan Mata and Fernando Torres to combine. Kasper Schmeichel capitalises on Mata's awkward angle to goal to come and clear.
A Gary Cahill error is seized upon by Neil Danns, who forces a one-handed near post save from Petr Cech after bursting into the box. Corner to Leicester City.
Jermaine Beckford drags wide from 25 yards. Leicester City look tidy at times, but are yet to penetrate.
Juan Mata finds Salomon Kalou in the box, and he is only just denied a shot by a touch of his own that could have been better.
There's a stoppage in play as Paul Gallagher receives treatment. The winger got his foot stuck in the turf and it looks painful.
This time a Fernando Torres strike forces Kasper Schmeichel to push the ball out for a corner, following a neat passage of Chelsea play in the final third.
A golden chance for Fernando Torres to break his lengthy dry spell sees him head a Juan Mata cross straight at Kasper Schmeichel from close range.
Goalscorer Daniel Sturridge shows great skill to take down a Branislav Ivanovic long ball inside the box. He sets himself up perfectly for the shot, but puts his finish agonisingly wide.
That was just too easy for Chelsea. Fernando Torres leads a Chelsea break with a charge down the right flank, eventually delivering an incisive pass to Daniel Sturridge. The forward keeps his composure and rolls in, giving the Blues a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes.
Daniel Sturridge skins Paul Konchesky inside the Leicester City box, before the full-back recovers to clear off the line.
Chelsea have the lead 12 minutes in. Juan Mata sends in a corner, Kasper Schmeichel stays rooted to his line, and Gary Cahill heads in from four yards out. The former Bolton man reveals a t-shirt to acknowledge his former team-mate Fabrice Muamba.
A Lloyd Dyer pass sets up Jermaine Beckford for a shot from the edge of the area, which he curls wide.
Jermaine Beckford has a shout for a penalty rightly turned down, then David Nugent forces a corner after latching onto a Sean St Ledger pass.
The home side probe further through Bosingwa and Juan Mata, but the Leicester City defence stands firm.
The subsequent corner is headed over by Fernando Torres.
Chelsea break at speed after a short spell of Leicester City possession in the opposition half. Daniel Sturridge releases Fernando Torres who squares to Juan Mata, and the Spaniard forces a corner.
Chelsea get things underway. A round of applause to show support for Fabrice Muamba a couple of minutes ago was a nice touch.
Schmeichel, Konchesky, Bamba, Gallagher, Dyer, St Ledger, Wellens, Danns, Morgan Nugent Beckford Subs: Peltier, Howard, Marshall, Schlupp, Kennedy, Hopper, Smith
Cech (c), Ivanovic, Torres, Mata, Mikel, Meireles, Bosingwa, Kalou, Sturridge, Cahill, Bertrand Subs: Hilario, Luiz, Essien, Lampard, Drogba, Malouda, Ferreira
Lee Probert referees his 29th fixture of the season, having so far issued 87 bookings and seven red cards. The Gloucestershire-based official has sent a player off in his last three consecutive games.
Paul Konchesky is available for Leicester following a three-match ban, but Danny Drinkwater is cup-tied.
Chelsea defenders John Terry and David Luiz could miss out due to injuries picked up midweek. Raul Meireles returns from suspension.
If this game took place a couple of weeks ago there would have been many backing Leicester to cause an upset, but their opponents' recent revival looks to have relegated the Foxes to massive underdogs. Whatever the consensus, though, Nigel Pearson has made it clear that it will have no effect on how his side goes into this tie. "We will approach the game in a positive manner, but we also know we have to be wary of the talent they have. You have to respect the opposition", he said. The Foxes reached this stage by winning 2-1 at Norwich City, in what was an impressive performance against a near full-strength Canaries side.
AVB goes, the players are delighted, and normal service resumes at Chelsea. That's if Roberto Di Matteo's first three games as caretaker boss are anything to go by, culminating in the heroics against Napoli midweek to send the Blues through to the next stage of the Champions League. Quite how much Di Matteo has had to do with the upsurge in form is another matter, although judging by how quickly he's shed his tracksuit for a designer suit and started making dramatic statements in press conferences about not having a single friend on this earth, he clearly seems to be basking in his new role. Even if the FA Cup is last on Chelsea's list of priorities, you'd still have them as strong contenders to go all the way with the old guard seemingly back in full swing.
Thanks for joining me in the Match Centre, where I'll be watching Chelsea host Leicester City in the FA Cup fifth round. The football world is still in shock after what happened at White Hart Lane yesterday, and our prayers remain with Fabrice Muamba and his family.