FA Cup: Chelsea edge Leeds to enter quarters; Man Utd, Liverpool also through
Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score the winner as Chelsea beat Leeds United 3-2 in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.
Despite glowing with praise for his players after overseeing a comfortable 3-0 win over Swansea City to progress to the semis of the FA Cup, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted his side could have scored more, such was their dominance on the night.
“It was a fantastic performance, I’m very pleased and happy for the players and the fans. It’s important to go to the semi-final and to have the possibility to fight for the trophy,” Pochettino gushed after the tie at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
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Christian Eriksen put the Lilywhites ahead in the 11th minute itself, with a fine left-footed strike from outside the box before Erik Lamela extended their lead towards the end of the first-half.
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With Spurs enjoying close to 80 per cent possession, it was largely one-way traffic as Michel Vorm was a virtual spectator for most parts of the tie.
“The team played so well, 3-0 – we deserved more. I’m happy with how we dominated the game. We showed great maturity,” the Argentine tactician added.
And Eriksen would complete the scoring with another well-taken goal to cap off a memorable evening for the Lilywhites as they became the first team to make the last-four of the cup competition.
After their UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Juventus last week, the pressure was on Pochettino’s men to deliver and despite missing star forward Harry Kane, they did just that without much fuss.
Manchester United take on Brighton & Hove Albion in the second quarter-final later on Saturday while Sunday’s ties see Southampton take on Wigan Athletic before Leicester City host Chelsea.
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