Chelsea booked their passage to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup on penalties after Mykhailo Mudryk’s stoppage-time equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.
Mudryk slotted home after a mistake from Kieran Trippier just as Eddie Howe’s side looked to have done enough to ease past the hosts, who struggled to create for much of the game.
Earlier, Callum Wilson had given the visitors a first-half lead on the counter-attack.
But as the game went to spot-kicks, Trippier again was culpable, firing wide from 12 yards before Matt Ritchie saw the critical kick saved by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic to see Chelsea through.
The first chance went to the hosts. Enzo Fernandez’s corner was flighted to the edge of the box where Conor Gallagher was waiting unmarked. Chelsea’s captain took a touch and sent a crisp, arching shot over Martin Dubravka and against the face of the crossbar as Newcastle survived an early scare.
Chelsea were comfortably on top but then they gifted Newcastle the opening goal.
Levi Colwill, high in the opposition half, tried to find Moises Caicedo but horribly overhit his pass. From there, Wilson took over and drove over the halfway line. He was marshalled by three defenders but Thiago Silva’s challenge was weak, Benoit Badiashile stumbled over his own feet and Wilson had the simplest task of guiding it around Petrovic’s dive.
Gallagher dragged badly wide from the edge of the box before the moment home fans craved arrived with 20 minutes to play, Christopher Nkunku summoned from the bench to make a long-awaited debut after injury. How misfiring Chelsea needed last season’s Bundesliga top scorer, a £52million signing from RB Leipzig, to hit the ground running.
Instead it was another second-half substitute, Mudryk, who saved Pochettino, nicking the ball away from Trippier as he tried to head back to his goalkeeper.
A cool, curling finish sent the game to penalties and, after Petrovic’s heroics from Ritchie’s kick, put Chelsea on their way to the last four.
