Paying no heed to their 15-point difference in the Premier League rankings, 11th-placed Chelsea picked up a 3-1 win over fourth-place Aston Villa in their FA Cup Fourth Round replay on Wednesday night (February 7). Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson, and Enzo Fernandez were on the scoresheet for the visitors at Villa Park while Moussa Diaby scored the hosts’ consolation goal.
Chelsea Players Bring Their A Game To Offer Under-Pressure Pochettino Some Respite
Ahead of the game on Wednesday, there were murmurs about Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea future. Many suggested the Argentine would be shown the exit door if his side failed to overcome Aston Villa in the FA Cup. The speculation seemingly reached the players, and they ensured Pochettino would not be without a job just six months after coming on.
It took Chelsea 11 minutes to find the breakthrough on Wednesday, with Gallagher popping up with a thumping finish. Jackson drove into the box and drew a couple of Aston Villa defenders toward him before laying the ball off to Noni Madueke. Madueke spotted Gallagher’s run and set him up with a perfectly weighted pass.
Ten minutes after instigating the opener, Jackson got on the scoresheet himself, applying an excellent headed finish to Malo Gusto’s cross from the right. It was not the best piece of defending from Unai Emery’s side, but Pochettino’s men deserved all the credit for exploiting their weakness. With Fernandez and Moises Caicedo bossing the central midfield area, Villa attackers practically got no service in the first half and went into the tunnel 2-0 down.
Nine minutes into the second half, 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Fernandez scored Chelsea’s insurance goal, and it was easily the standout strike of the night. Standing over a free-kick around 30 yards away from Emiliano Martinez’s goal, Fernandez confidently dispatched a right-footed piledriver. Full of pace, the ball swerved to the left and nestled into the top-left corner.
After coming close a couple of times, Villa finally got on the scoresheet in injury time. Jacob Ramsey spotted Diaby in space on the edge of the box and brought him into the fold. Diaby applied a first-time finish to soil Djordje Petrovic’s clean sheet at last.
Fernandez Put Exit Rumors To Bed With Pointed Celebration
Having produced one of the Goal of the Season contenders, Fernandez broke out a pointed celebration. He took off his Chelsea shirt, showed it off, and repeatedly suggested he was here to stay. Although the Argentine did not confirm it, it looked like a blunt reply to rumors that claimed he was looking for a way out of Stamford Bridge.
🇦🇷🔵 Enzo made a clear statement during his celebration amid rumors suggesting he might depart from Chelsea 🤫pic.twitter.com/O4TOOKzH1I
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) February 7, 2024
Fernandez, who joined the club for €121 million ($130.5 million) last January, has a long-term contract with the club. His deal with the Blues will not expire until June 2031.
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