A blog of two halves

Blues chop down a feisty challenge from Leeds in FA Cup

On Wednesday night, the Blues overcame Leeds in the 5th round of the tournament to tee up a quarter-final against Leicester City in mid-March.

29 February 2024
By Tim Harrison
Categories:
Chelsea FC
Ben Chilwell (left) and Conor Gallagher (right) celebrate Chelsea's win at full time
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Chelsea 3-2 Leeds United

On Wednesday night, the Blues overcame Leeds in the 5th round of the tournament to tee up a quarter-final against Leicester City in mid-March.

Conor Gallagher got the crucial winner in the last minute of normal time after the Yorkshire visitors had shown just why they are tipped for a return to the top flight with a full-blooded display as Jadon Anthony and Mateo Joseph posed endless questions of the Blues defence.

At 2-2, with extra time seeming inevitable, Enzo Fernandez (wearing the captain’s armband) teed up sub Gallagher in front of the Leeds goal, who lofted a confident shot through the flailing arms of keeper Illan Meslier.

It briefly silenced the 5,000 travelling fans, who had kept up a barrage of chanting throughout the match, rising to crescendos when Leeds took an eighth-minute lead, and then drew the side level on the hour mark at the Shed end.

Nico Jackson had scored for Chelsea in the first half, before Mykhail Mudryk added a second for the Blues in a boisterous, thoroughly enjoyable end-to-end game that banished the lingering disappointment of League Cup final defeat to Liverpool at the weekend.

Ron Harris (left) and Peter Bonetti (right) return in triumph to the King's Road after Chelsea's 1970 FA Cup victory
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‘Chopper’ Harris returns to Stamford Bridge

Ron Harris, one of the survivors of the Chelsea team who beat Leeds in the 1970 FA Cup final replay, was interviewed on the pitch ahead of Wednesday’s game... and was shown replays of some of the crunching tackles which earned his nickname of ‘Chopper’.

Interestingly he watched the footage without a flicker, while younger fans staring at the big screen winced at referees waving play-on after challenges which today would earn straight red cards.

London derbies ahead

Chelsea make the short trip to Brentford at the weekend, while Chelsea Women head up to Leicester on Sunday with the league title now on a knife-edge.

Many people predict everything will hang on Arsenal Women’s Friday-night visit to Stamford Bridge on March 15 to face Emma Hayes’ team, with a huge crowd predicted.

Tickets are still available, but are selling well.

Moises Caicedo of Chelsea (left) pressures Archie Gray of Leeds United (right)
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The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Tim Harrison

Tim is our Chelsea FC blogger.

Tim has been writing Chelsea match reports since the late 1980s for newspapers and, more recently, websites.

When he first reported on the Blues, the press box was a metal cage suspended over the lip of the old west stand - and you reached it via a precarious walkway over the heads of the fans.

But he has been a Chelsea fan since his father took an excited seven-year-old to watch Chelsea v Manchester United in the mid 1960s... and covered his ears every time the chanting got too ripe.

In July 2005 he wrote The Rough Guide to Chelsea, published by Penguin, which sold 15,000 copies.

His favourite player of all time is Charlie Cooke, the mazy winger who lit up Chelsea's left wing in the 60s and 70s.

When he isn't watching the Blues, Tim acts, paints, writes and researches local history.

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