Despite a difficult beginning, Mauricio Pochettino’s team produced a thrilling five-goal finish to maintain their chances of winning a trophy.

Chelsea defeated Leeds 3-2 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night in the FA Cup fifth round, thanks to a late goal from Conor Gallagher. This resulted in a home quarterfinal matchup with Leicester.

Due to a defensive blunder, the hosts had a dismal start and fell behind. The poor pass from Axel Disasi to Moises Caicedo on the edge of the box came about because the Blues were unable to read Leeds’ high push. Mateo Joseph scored the first goal as the visitors seized the opportunity.

Shortly after, though, Caicedo made amends when he linked with Noni Madueke and then sent the ball to Nicolas Jackson, who beat Illan Meslier from a close range. Then, with just a few minutes remaining in the half, Raheem Sterling’s perfectly put cross found Mykhailo Mudryk, who scored a second goal for Chelsea.

Although Leeds came out stronger after the break and seized the lead just before the hour mark thanks to another goal from Joseph, Chelsea appeared capable of controlling the game.

From there, Mauricio Pochettino made his changes, bringing in Cole Palmer, Ben Chilwell, and Gallagher off the bench. In the ninetieth minute, Gallagher made the winning move by deftly turning and touching a pass from Enzo Fernandez before finding the net.

Robert Sanchez (5/10):

The custodian and defense faced pressure with a quick pass just before conceding the first goal.

Malo Gusto (5/10):

Frequently surrendered possession and failed to block the crucial cross for Leeds’ equalizer, leading to an immediate substitution.

Axel Disasi (4/10):

A disastrous pass resulted in conceding the first goal, and his defensive efforts were lacking against the opposition’s attackers.

Trevoh Chalobah (6/10):

Struggled to resist Joseph’s goal but made crucial interceptions and displayed good passing throughout the game.

Alfie Gilchrist (6/10):

Initially less busy, he moved to the right in the last half-hour and performed admirably.

Midfield:

Moises Caicedo (7/10):

Showed great effort to win the ball and created the opportunity for the equalizer, redeeming a poor start.

Enzo Fernandez (7/10):

Excelled in stopping Leeds’ attempts and initiating Chelsea’s advances with well-placed passes, contributing to the winning goal.

Mykhailo Mudryk (7/10):

Troublesome for Leeds to control due to his rapid and unpredictable movements; well-placed for the 2-1 goal.

Ben Chilwell, Manager & Subs (5/10):

Added for left-side depth but didn’t make a significant impact.

Conor Gallagher (7/10):

Performed well with the ball and made slick passes to set up the winning goal.

Levi Colwill (5/10):

Moved into the heart of defense after replacing Gilchrist.

Cole Palmer (6/10):

Immediately tried to inject energy into a lackluster Blues assault during the second half.

Jimi Tauriainen (N/A):

Activated only in the final moments.

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino (6/10):

Despite playing lower-league opponents at home, the team lost an early lead and struggled to control the game. Pochettino made significant adjustments later in the game, paying off when Gallagher secured the win.