Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United: Enzo Fernandes scores the only goal for the Blues in their absence, sealing their place in the FA Cup final following the departure of Liam Rosenior.
Enzo Fernandes gives Chelsea a 1-0 win (Image: Getty Images)
Chelsea overcame the sacking of manager Liam Rosenior to defeat Leeds and book their place in the FA Cup final. The Blues have lost five games in the Premier League without scoring, but under caretaker manager Callum McFarlane they will improve at Wembley and will face Manchester City in the final.
Enzo Fernandes scored the only goal of the game early on, and it was enough to end Chelsea’s dismal slump in form, four days after Rosenior was given his marching orders three months into a six-year contract. The Blues took the lead in the 23rd minute when their captain scored from a Pedro Neto cross after Pascal Strujk gave the ball away.
Robert Sanchez thwarted Brenden Aaronson’s shot with his feet, made a great save to deny Anton Stach’s piledriver and latched onto Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s header free.
Joao Pedro put Chelsea ahead with a shot inside the near post, and although they fell short again, that only goal was enough at Wembley. Here’s the talking point.
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1. Enzo’s new era
The memorable footage of Fernandes staring down an irate Chelsea away fan after a 3-0 defeat at Brighton was the final moment on the pitch of Rosenior’s short-lived spell in charge. It was fitting, therefore, that the Argentina international scored the opening goal in the first match after Rossenyol was sacked.
Fernandes was dropped after two games by Rosenior in an attempt to establish his ailing (or perhaps non-existent) authority. The Chelsea captain looked reborn at Wembley and made a bright start at the front of his team. His goal came from the intensity of the midfield, a deft cross from Neto and smart movement from Fernandes.
Enzo Fernandes scores Chelsea’s opening goal (Image: Cameron Smith/The FA via Getty Images)
2. Pulling your hair back in the spotlight
Two weeks ago, Manchester United were furious when Lisandro Martinez was sent off following a VAR review for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair. At Wembley, the Leeds striker was a force to be reckoned with, but this time it was a different outcome.
“I don’t think it’s even worth talking about,” said Ally McCoist on TNT Sports co-commentary. Steven Gerrard immediately replied: “I agree.” VAR ultimately agreed that Calvert-Lewin’s actions did not meet the criteria to be considered violent.
Although it was never an everyday occurrence, hair-pulling and how referees handle it are now a hot topic.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin flees with impunity for pulling Mark Cucurella’s hair (Image: TNT Sports)
3. Falke’s tactical shift
Leeds were outclassed in the center of the pitch in the first half, but manager Daniel Farke opted to change things up at half-time, dropping centre-backs James Justin and Xhaka Bihor and bringing on defender Joe Rodon and midfielder Stutch. This change saw Leeds switch from a three-man defense to a flat-back four, with Stutch joining Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu in midfield.
Leeds came out of the changing room with renewed vigor and Stach’s powerful strike set the tone for the second half. However, that shift in momentum disappeared, Leeds were unable to lay siege to Sanchez’s goal, and Chelsea weathered the storm to win fairly comfortably.
The introduction of Anton Stach at half-time made a difference for Leeds (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
4. Sanchez saves the day.
Chelsea’s goalkeeper is notoriously outrageous. There’s definitely a raucous side to him. Brain fades occur semi-regularly. And if Chelsea find a new manager, it wouldn’t be surprising if they move to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer.
But the Spaniard enjoyed a wonderful and, crucially, error-free day at Wembley. He made a good save with his legs from Aaronson in the first half, and his reflexes caught everyone’s attention when Stutch took a powerful shot early in the first half. Although his time-wasting reputation was unpopular with Leeds fans, Sanchez carried out his duties well.
Robert Sanchez played for Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
5. A chance to get something back
Chelsea’s season came crashing down with a blowout by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last month. They tied the score at 2-2, but succumbed 8-2 on aggregate and began to slide towards Rosenior’s dismissal. Apart from the 7-0 defeat at Port Vale, Sunday’s win against Leeds was their first since beating Wrexham in extra time in the FA Cup on March 7.
Reaching the FA Cup final brings some relief to the club. At the end of the day, qualifying for the Champions League is everything to the club and they need that income more than any other club. But with the team sitting eighth in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of fifth, with four games remaining, that goal has all but disappeared. If they return to Wembley next month and beat Man City, at least their dreadful campaign will end with a silver medal.
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