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WATCH: Ruben Loftus-Cheek ends his barren spell with a brilliant goal to fire Chelsea into the FA Cup final
Ruben Loftus-Cheek ends his barren spell with a goal against Palace in the FA Cup semi-final
It seemed that the game that stood even at half-time would eventually go on to end in a stalemate but the half-time break appeared to have provided some breathing space for Chelsea to regroup as they restarted the second-half with renewed strength.
Goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount in the latter half of the game restored Chelsea’s sporting glory, putting the club in charge of the FA Cup semi-final tie. As things stand, Chelsea have progressed into their third consecutive FA Cup final, beating the eagles 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.
An unexpected early injury forced Thomas Tuchel into a tactical reshuffle, causing him to trust Ruben Loftus-Cheek with the mantle for defensive midfield responsibility, that was initially meant for Mateo Kovačić but came on RLC’s shoulders as Kovačić hobbled off the pitch with a twisted ankle.
Thomas Tuchel on Ruben Loftus-Cheek:
"We want him to show everybody in the stadium his potential and not only us on the training ground." pic.twitter.com/6M2lJa3I9y
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) April 17, 2022
Those were some big boots to fill.. But, Ruben knew he was entering a crucial stage as he was presented with the mission to carry the team, a point to prove, which he inevitably did by producing a moment of brilliance, finally ending his barren spell with a goal against the eagles on one of the most esteemed football stages.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek had emphatically put his mediocre seasons behind him by the time the 2021/2022 campaign rolled around, where he started getting more game time, facilitated by injuries to Chelsea’s mainstays; Mateo Kovačić and N’Golo Kante. His recent performances, especially in the last two games has rightfully earned him a place in Tuchel’s starting XI – a choice that he justified with his game winning goal in today’s match.
Thomas Tuchel on Ruben Loftus-Cheek:
"He needs to add nothing, he shows it in training. He needs to show it on the pitch. He hid his talent and potential for too long in his career. He is able to produce these performances, this is the way to go."
[via @ITVSport]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) April 17, 2022
Watch the 26 year-old open the scoring in Chelsea’s favour with his powerful shot into the roof of the net – a goal wholly reliant upon the touch of a genius – Chelsea nerves finally settled…
After scoring his first goal for Chelsea since 2019, the midfielder reflected on his situation and expressed his joy while speaking to ITV Sport, following the win;
“Way overdue! It’s been a tough road, injuries and going on loan to find my form. I always believed in myself, I always wanted to play for Chelsea.
“I’ve played a lot this season. I’m happy. I thought just hit it, get contact. It took a deflection, I’ll take it! First goal at Wembley, overjoyed.”
Mount quickly doubled Chelsea’s lead by latching onto Timo Werner’s inside ball, firing it home to kill the contest. The Blues advance through to the final now where they will reconvene with their Carabao Cup rivals, Liverpool, hoping to avenge February’s event. Big wins and celebrations!
News
WATCH: Chelsea’s out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku scores twice in action-packed second half 🔥
Romelu Lukaku scores twice v Wolves: Chelsea welcomed Wolverhampton Wanderers to Stamford Bridge tonight in a contest where they were hopeful of reversing their poor run of form to guarantee themselves a Champions League berth.
Despite the Blues receiving two goal scoring opportunities in the first-half of the game, it still ended in a stalemate. However, as the second-half commenced, Romelu Lukaku stepped up to strike twice in quick succession to put Chelsea on a trajectory toward what appeared to be a deserved victory at that time.
Lukaku’s goal tally for Chelsea this season has totalled up to 14 now, causing him to become the highest goal scorer for the Blues, just a goal ahead of Kai Havertz. His performance tonight underlines his renewed confidence as he looks to be approaching the sort of form that had deserted him for most of the season.
Romelu Lukaku hadn’t scored in the Premier League since December 29th.
129 days later and he's got a brace in 3 minutes ⚽⚽ pic.twitter.com/FzZx49vvHw
— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 7, 2022
Watch how Romelu Lukaku scores twice in quick succession to give Chelsea’s scoreline an uplift:
The first goal came in response to a VAR call for a foul committed by Saiss on Romelu Lukaku as both players were caught up in a tangle on the edge of the penalty area.
Watch Lukaku’s left-footed penalty here:
The second goal was a Pulisic interception that found Lukaku who then completed the play with an emphatic low finish from the edge of the box with his weaker right foot.
Romelu Lukaku gets his brace with an assist from Christian Pulisic!
(via @NBCSportsSoccer)
— Chelsea FC USA (@ChelseaFCinUSA) May 7, 2022
Lukaku wasn’t able to register himself on the scoresheet for Chelsea ever since the start of year 2022 – a daunting prospect for such an expensive striker – however, that record has been laid to rest today as his goals v Wolves have certainly managed to make a statement of his intent.
It’s a shame that a subpar defensive performance from his side overshadowed his monumental return to form. Chelsea were stripped to bone with comeback goals from Wolves that added misery to Chelsea’s hopes of securing a victory. The game ended in an unanticipated 2-2 draw.
After racking up underwhelming results from their recent run-ins, Chelsea are looking a lot less comfortable in the rough and tumble of Premier League’s top-four now. With the fourth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Tottenham breathing down Chelsea’s neck, their margin for error has now decreased to just two points, especially after having picked up only 5 points from a possible 15.
Videos
WATCH: Marcos Alonso pings a volley past David De Gea, giving Chelsea breakthrough on the hour mark🔥
Marcos Alonso pings a volley v Manchester United:
Chelsea’s bid to overturn their nine-year winless record at Old Trafford ends in a stalemate yet again as the Blues fail to clinch a win over a struggling Manchester United side.
It took three first-half misses for Chelsea to finally wake up and produce a moment of brilliance through Marcos Alonso. It was a Kai Havertz cross that found the feet of an unmarked Marcos Alonso inside the United penalty area, who eventually fired a low-effort pass past David de Gea, giving Chelsea the lead on the hour mark.
Chelsea started the game with real intent as was evident in their performance throughout the game – having earned a few goal scoring opportunities – however all of their chances went off-target, leading to a goalless first-half.
The Blues’ woes didn’t continue for much longer as Marcos Alonso’s left-footed strike in the first quarter of the second-half gave them the edge over a depleted Manchester United side.
Marcos Alonso has been directly involved in three goals in his last four Premier League appearances.
[via @StatmanDave]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) April 28, 2022
Among the Chelsea supporters, Alonso is often touted as ‘a complete forward who happens to be a defender’ and ‘Chelsea’s secret striker’, because of his unanticipated goal scoring abilities, despite starting from the back. On the surface, such a statement would read like a joke laden in sarcasm but one must be cautious to assume a player like Alonso, though inconsistent, is not as valuable or less important on the pitch than Chelsea’s other players. His performance during Chelsea’s recent run-ins, proves how influential he has been for the club.
Watch how Marcos Alonso pings a volley past David De Gea to put the blues ahead v Manchester United here:
𝘼𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙎𝙊 𝙎𝙏𝙍𝙄𝙆𝙀𝙎! 🚀
It's fair to say it's been coming and it's Marcos Alonso who fires Chelsea into the lead at Old Trafford 💥 pic.twitter.com/6jkAFJFLCU
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 28, 2022
Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel was all praise for Alonso as well;
Thomas Tuchel on Marcos Alonso:
"He is one of these players who are precise in finishing so we hope it finds its way to his left foot."
[via @ChelseaFC]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) April 28, 2022
Despite such a dominant performance, Chelsea weren’t able to hold the lead as Cristiano Ronaldo canceled out Alonso’s opener just two minutes later, changing the trajectory of the game. The match ended in shared points, though Chelsea were by far the better team.
Losing 3 out of their last 4 home matches prior to hosting West Ham, had resigned Chelsea to one of their worst home runs in the league in 29 years but the blues were finally spared a home defeat in yesterday’s game, thanks to Christian Pulisic’s late heroics which almost guaranteed them a top-four finish.
Christian Pulisic called GAME 🥶
(via @ChelseaFC)pic.twitter.com/QMowfgfJ1p
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 24, 2022
Chelsea hosted their London Rivals, West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon looking to overturn their disappointing home form. Just as a draw seemed inevitable, Christian Pulisic stepped up and undoubtedly proved to be a stimulus to help push Chelsea over the line in the dying moments of the game.
Coming off the bench in the 76th minute as part of a triple sub, he certainly was symbolic of a changing tide as his last-minute strike changed the course of an otherwise scoreless game. His 90th minute-turnaround has ensured Chelsea top-four security, as they remain in third-place, five points clear of fourth-placed Arsenal.
Christian Pulisic:
"As far as the moment, last minute or close to the end, scoring the game-winner felt really good, especially here at home, so it was definitely up there [with one of my most important goals for #Chelsea]."
[via @ChelseaFC]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) April 25, 2022
It was Marcos Alonso’s low cross that pierced through the West Ham defense, finding the feet of Christian Pulisic, who patiently timed his run to perfection to fire home a precise left-footed strike in the final minute, securing a 1-0 win for Chelsea.
Marcos Alonso and Christian Pulisic celebrating their assist and goal respectively v West Ham
Watch the goal here:
Heading into the match, Chelsea’s record at Stamford Bridge had been standing up to scrutiny given their astonishingly worrying home form. On top of that, the blues boss, Thomas Tuchel was handed a cluster of injury concerns to iron out. But thanks to Christian Pulisic’s late heroics, the game that seemed largely uneventful, concluded with a definite winner, despite the crippling challenges.
Chelsea travel to Old Trafford to meet Manchester United in their next Premier League fixture.
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