Chelsea 4-2 Leicester: Boos for penalty-missing Raheem Sterling and a disastrous 30-yard own goal... but Chelsea are off to Wembley! Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke stoppage-time strikes save the day
- Re-live all the action from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea make the FA Cup last-four
- READ MORE: From star man to forgotten man, Raheem Sterling's England exile
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When showing such extraordinary enthusiasm for self-sabotage, Chelsea can only thank their lucky stars to have a 21-year-old Englishman who is so oblivious to the nonsense happening around him.
Not for the first time, Cole Palmer was calm amid the chaos, ice in his veins as he flicked an audacious assist for Carney Chukwuemeka to give them a stoppage-time lead they would not lose against the Championship visitors from Leicester.
By that stage, the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge had threatened to turn toxic amid an FA Cup quarter-final in which Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea tried their best to trip themselves up. In which Raheem Sterling fluffed his penalty after taking the ball from the usual taker in Palmer.
In which Axel Disasi scored a preposterous own goal to help Leicester in coming back from 2-0 down to make it 2-2.
In which Sterling produced one of the worst free-kicks the world’s oldest cup competition has witnessed – so bad that his own supporters sang for his substitution after watching it fly into the Matthew Harding Stand and targeted Pochettino when he hooked Mykhailo Mudryk instead. In which Leicester, down to 10 men, threatened to take this tie into extra time.
![There was a comedy of errors for Chelsea as they narrowly escaped an embarrassing FA Cup upset](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565663-13207009-image-a-111_1710687818101.jpg)
There was a comedy of errors for Chelsea as they narrowly escaped an embarrassing FA Cup upset
![Raheem Sterling missed a terrible penalty in the first half with Chelsea 1-0 up in the game](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82564983-13207009-Raheem_Sterling_missed_a_terrible_penalty_in_the_first_half_with-a-112_1710687844841.jpg)
Raheem Sterling missed a terrible penalty in the first half with Chelsea 1-0 up in the game
![Noni Madueke put the finishing touches on the Blues' added time victory to make it 4-2](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565791-13207009-image-a-126_1710688217212.jpg)
Noni Madueke put the finishing touches on the Blues' added time victory to make it 4-2
‘It’s very dangerous to watch this team if you’ve got a bad heart,’ joked one supporter by Stamford Bridge's press box. He wasn't wrong, and those who feared the angst of an additional 30 minutes had Palmer to thank for his classy contribution.
The £42.5million summer signing from Manchester City assisted Chukwuemeka before another substitute in Noni Madueke made sure that Chelsea can look forward to a semi-final trip to Wembley Stadium next month.
With the winners receiving an invitation to the Europa League, the FA Cup is the competition that could save their season if they can go one step further than they did in the Carabao Cup.
So long as Palmer is on the pitch, you cannot discount Chelsea’s chances. With 14 goals and 12 assists this season, his has been a success story to make you wonder what was slipped into Pep Guardiola’s tea when he agreed to let such a talent leave.
Palmer was involved in Chelsea taking the lead after 13 minutes, playing the pass into Nicolas Jackson which led to him charging at Jannik Vestergaard. Jackson owned Vestergaard in that one-v-one, beating him before rolling the ball through the six-yard box for Marc Cucurella to tap in for 1-0.
There was the odd scare for Chelsea – their persistence in playing out from the back frustrating fans as Robert Sanchez appeared flustered by Leicester's pressers – but they were largely in command.
Mudryk was having fun on what represented a rare start and when Jackson broke through, his squared pass set up the Ukrainian. Unfortunately, Sterling got in the way as he provided an accidental block on behalf of Leicester’s defenders.
In the 24th minute, Palmer’s pass sent Malo Gusto sprinting down the right. His cross found Sterling, who was wiped out from behind by Abdul Fatawu. Referee Andrew Madley did not hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot.
Palmer picked up the ball. He had taken five penalties for Chelsea this season, scoring them all. Yet Sterling wanted this one.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565799-13207009-image-a-127_1710688243653.jpg)
Marc Cucurella opened the scoring inside 13 minutes as the hosts threatened to blow away the Championship side
![Sterling sent his tame effort straight down the middle for a diving Jakub Stolarczyk to keep it out](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565709-13207009-image-a-115_1710687914741.jpg)
Sterling sent his tame effort straight down the middle for a diving Jakub Stolarczyk to keep it out
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565773-13207009-image-a-128_1710688246711.jpg)
Cole Palmer continued his fine form with another goal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon
![Axel Disasi scored an extraordinary own goal in the second half from 30 yards to give Leicester a hope](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565551-13207009-Axel_Disasi_suffered_the_ignominy_of_putting_the_ball_into_the_b-a-113_1710687854571.jpg)
Axel Disasi scored an extraordinary own goal in the second half from 30 yards to give Leicester a hope
![Disasi received a kiss on the cheek from Robert Sanchez but not all goalkeepers might have been so forgiving](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565887-13207009-image-a-129_1710688369864.jpg)
Disasi received a kiss on the cheek from Robert Sanchez but not all goalkeepers might have been so forgiving
Palmer agreed – a little reluctantly by the look of it – and Sterling’s attempt was awful. Close to the middle and slightly to the left, it did not take much for Jakub Stolarczyuk to make the save.
Sterling should also have scored in the 44th minute when Moises Caicedo’s ball in behind left him one-on-one with Stolarczyuk. The 29-year-old left out of Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad used his pace to escape Wout Faes but fired wide as Leicester’s fans mocked him as a ‘waste of money’.
Sterling tried to make amends before the break when he broke behind before passing to Palmer, who tapped in for 2-0.
Chelsea looked in a comfortable position and yet, in spite of the magnitude of his mistakes, Sterling was upstaged by Disasi in the 51st minute. Patson Daka was breathing down his neck when he tried to pass back to Sanchez, only for the £38.8m defender to balloon the ball into his own net. For Leicester, it was comical. For Chelsea, tragic.
![Stephy Mavididi scored a brilliant solo effort to level the scoring in the 62nd minute of the game](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565081-13207009-Stephy_Mavididi_scored_a_brilliant_solo_effort_to_level_the_scor-a-118_1710688040781.jpg)
Stephy Mavididi scored a brilliant solo effort to level the scoring in the 62nd minute of the game
![Callum Doyle was sent off for a foul on Nicolas Jackson on the edge of the penalty area on 73 minutes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565527-13207009-Callum_Doyle_was_sent_off_for_a_foul_on_Nicolas_Jackson_on_the_e-a-117_1710688037525.jpg)
Callum Doyle was sent off for a foul on Nicolas Jackson on the edge of the penalty area on 73 minutes
![Sterling's late substitution was greeted by boos from Stamford Bridge with Madueke taking his place](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565929-13207009-image-a-130_1710688642910.jpg)
Sterling's late substitution was greeted by boos from Stamford Bridge with Madueke taking his place
Now 2-1, Sanchez gave Disasi an apologetic kiss. Some goalkeepers might not have been so sympathetic after such an extraordinary error.
In the 62nd minute, the visitors made it 2-2 as Stephy Mavididi drove at Gusto. After a series of stepovers, he unleashed a right-footed curler which flew beyond Sanchez.
Chelsea thought they had won another penalty when Jackson flicked the ball around Vestergaard beautifully to leave him bearing down on Leicester’s goal. He was tripped by Callum Doyle as Madley awarded a spot-kick and showed a yellow card. VAR Darren England reported that the foul occurred outside of the box.
Madley awarded the free-kick instead, but upgraded the punishment for Doyle from yellow to red. Sterling took it, sending it up into the air. 'Get him off, get him off,' chanted Chelsea's fans in response.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565987-13207009-image-a-133_1710688892535.jpg)
Carney Chukwuemeka won the game for the Blues in the 92nd minute with a composed finish inside the box
![Madueke then scored the fourth goal in added time to seal the win after Chukwuemeka's third](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/17/15/82565397-13207009-Noni_Madueke_scored_the_fourth_goal_in_added_time_to_seal_the_wi-a-120_1710688048751.jpg)
Madueke then scored the fourth goal in added time to seal the win after Chukwuemeka's third
Chelsea went in search of a late winner, with Jackson among those frustrated after skying a chance from 10 yards. Yet as eight minutes of stoppage time were announced, they got the first of their two late goals by substitutes.
Chukwuemeka exchanged a one-two with Palmer, whose back-heeled flick was pure brilliance, and scored through the legs of Stolarczyk for 3-2. Pochettino could not contain himself, bursting out of his technical area to celebrate in front of the Chelsea fans who had chanted criticism of him.
It was with the last kick of the game that Madueke scored a screamer to complete the 4-2 scoreline and now, Wembley awaits.