Alvaro Morata to the rescue as Chelsea battle past Bournemouth to reach semi-finals of Carabao Cup
Chelsea 2 AFC Bournemouth 1: The Blues took the lead but were pegged back by Dan Gosling in the 90th minute, only for Morata to restore his side's lead moments later
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Your support makes all the difference.Chelsea predictably made it past Bournemouth to reach the League Cup semi-finals, but through the most unpredictable and gloriously chaotic of endings.
Having rather nervously led 1-0 for most of the game through an early Willian strike, they were eventually somewhat justifiably punished in the 90th minute when Dan Gosling curled in an equaliser. Rather than bringing extra-time, though, that saw Chelsea show their extra quality. Substitutes Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata beautifully combined for the Spanish striker to score, and send their side into the last four.
The very fact they were on the pitch showed just how much Antonio Conte wanted to win this game, and this competition, and win the first knock-out trophy of his career. It does mean that Morata won’t be on the pitch for the Everton game on Saturday, though, as his celebration brought a fifth booking of the season and a suspension. Amid the raucous celebrations, however, no one seemed too bothered.
The manager might be bothered now, but will at least be encouraged by the performance of one his stand-ins - who could well solve an issue for Chelsea. Of the eight changes Conte made to the side, perhaps the most eye-catching was the decision to give 17-year-old Welsh international Ethan Ampadu even more minutes in the very centre of defence, as he again showed he was more than willing to seize the occasion. He also very quickly showed Jermain Defoe the type of night he was going to endure, going in fiercely on the striker in the first minute.
Chelsea were playing their way through Bournemouth rather abrasively, and one burst brought the opening goal on 13 minutes. Michy Batshuayi played in Pedro, who flicked the ball on for a surging Cesc Fabregas. Having been taken a bit too wide, the creative midfielder squared for Willian, who flicked the ball into an open net.
Bournemouth were still looking dangerous, or at least they were when Defoe was on the pitch. He felt the full force of another Ampadu challenge before the half-hour, though, and had to be taken off for Jordon Ibe.
If it didn’t leave Eddie Howe too happy, it did show just how undaunted the teenager was.
It was just as well because, although Chelsea were in the lead, they weren’t quite in control. Bournemouth actually had most of the ball in the second half, their three-man midfield over-running Conte’s two of Fabregas and Danny Drinkwater. That might give the manager cause for thought, given that it is his most possession-based pairing. The only issue for Howe was that they couldn’t quite the navigate the ball beyond Chelsea’s three-man defence, with Cahill doing well to power one Harry Arter cross away, and Ampadu continuing to look so sturdy and suited to the level.
It was perhaps no surprise that Conte decided to bring on Tiemoue Bakayoko for Pedro. If that move was to retake control of the game, the decision to bring on Hazard for Willian was surely to make sure they won it.
It was some irony, then, that Bournemouth immediately got their best chance of the game up to that point, as the ball fell for Gosling in the box, but he could only blaze it wide too.
Conte’s response to that was then to bring on Morata, showing how much the manager wants to win this competition, but thereby denying more of the youngsters on the bench like Callum Hudson-Odoi a chance to play.
Bournemouth were still striving to create chances, though, and one break saw Ibe narrowly shoot wide from distance.
The match itself didn’t quite go the full distance, but did go full-on in those dramatic final minutes. Even after the exchange of late goals, Gosling curling in one and Morata poking in the other after a Hazard backheel, there was still time for a desperate Davide Zappacosta block.
There was no blocking Chelsea’s route to the semi-finals, although it was much more eventful than might have first been expected.
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