In almost the entire Carabao Cup quarter-final against Newcastle, Chelsea still showed a familiar image: poor ball control, mistakes in defense and deadlock in attack.
After Callum Wilson's 16th-minute goal, the Blues really fell into adversity. They have spent nearly £1 billion on transfers over the past 18 months, but there is a risk that they will only be left in the FA Cup to compete for the title.
Kieran Trippier used to be a reliable defender for Newcastle and England, but is showing poor form. It was the 33-year-old player who made a mistake that created conditions for Mykhailo Mudryk to score the equalizer. And in the penalty shootout, after the match ended with a score of 1-1, Trippier continued to play poorly.
In the end, The Blues qualified for the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a 4-2 victory in the penalty shootout.
Mauricio Pochettino could not hide his joy after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic successfully blocked Matt Ritchie's decisive 11m kick from Newcastle. Then there are hugs and "vamos" screams when Chelsea players never look so strong.
This has been a difficult season at Stamford Bridge and games like Newcastle could have a positive impact on the Blues. They are still in the process of finding a connection under Todd Boehly.
"The important thing is these games because of how we got into the semi-finals," Pochettino said. I am very satisfied because when you see the whole team, the players who are not playing, the players who are injured but want to share the happiness on the pitch. It seems like we are a group of players who only need time to play well."
"We have to guide them, create a foundation for them and help them improve every day. Of course, over time, I think we will create a very good team that can compete, and in the position that Chelsea should achieve," Pochettino added.
However, the goal that Pochettino mentioned is still very far away. This is still just a modest stepping stone when considering Chelsea's overall performance. Newcastle are 10 players short due to injuries and seem to be tired due to a tight schedule after the Champions League group stage campaign.
Chelsea should have played with one less player early after Moises Caicedo's tackle on Anthony Gordon. However, VAR was not used in this match and Caicedo only received a yellow card.
Conor Gallagher hit the crossbar in the 7th minute, but Chelsea's promising start was ruined by a shaky defense. Caicedo and Thiago Silva made a mistake before Benoit Badiashile tripped the ball, to create an opportunity for Wilson to score.
Even when rookie Nkunku came on in the 69th minute, Chelsea's game did not improve. However, at the most desperate moment, The Blues had an equalizer after Newcastle's mistake. Trippier controlled the ball incorrectly in the penalty area from Chelsea's cross, creating conditions for Mikhaylo Mudryk to rush in to finish with an equalizer 1-1 in the second minute of extra time.
In the penalty shootout, Cole Palmer, Gallagher, Nkunku and Mudryk from Chelsea converted, while trippier and Richie of Newcastle missed.
Pochettino can now take advantage of the positives from this match to score a goal. Of course, they are still a long way off the Carabao Cup as Liverpool are clearly the favourites. However, the absence of Man City, Arsenal, Man United and Aston Villa has greatly increased the Blues' chances.
In terms of individual performance, Nkunku converted the penalty, while Petrovic also proved himself and was capable of replacing the injured Robert Sanchez. Up front, Mudryk scored Chelsea's third goal
Pochettino said: "We are talking about young players, players who come and are injured like Christoph Nkunku. Now they need competition, they need time to play to start showing off. The hope is to see the best Nkunku. We need time for him to perform the way we expect. One thing is to be ready, another thing is to show it the way we expect it".
