Chelsea take the field this Saturday (5/2) under the command of assistant Arno Michels, after coach Thomas Tuchel tested positive for Covid-19, and go on to beat Plymouth Argyll from the English third division 2 x 1 Additional time was required. Stamford Bridge. A penalty saved by Kepa in the final minutes defined the dramatic victory, valid for the fourth leg of the FA Cup, and guaranteed the classification of the London team, now 100% focused on the Club World Cup.
The delegation will visit Abu Dhabi this Saturday, where the FIFA tournament will be played. With a straight spot in the semi-finals, Chelsea begin next Wednesday in a duel against the winner of the clash between Al-Hilal and Al-Jazeera, who will take on each other this Sunday.
With that, Tuchel should return to the bench at the World Cup only if the team advances to the final, as the United Kingdom sets a five-day isolation for those infected with the coronavirus. Once the final is over, the team can decide on the title against Palmeiras, who also advance directly to the semi-finals.
Without a coach on the edge of the lawn, Chelsea started this weekend’s match with a fair share of holders on the field, but important names like defender Thiago Silva and midfielder Pulisic were left out. After a series of games for the World Cup qualifiers during the final FIFA date, the Brazilian and the American were rested and did not even enter the list of respective.
Despite the team’s strength, the London team suffered a loss early in the match and a minor Plymouth opening the scoring in the seventh minute, when Gillespie took advantage of a cross after a free kick and went into the net. Since then, the fear of an underdog, as it happened with Manchester United, has taken hold in the home crowd, decimated by Middlesbrough on Friday.
In any case, Chelsea reacted quickly and reassured fans by hitting a ball into the crossbar with Kovacic in the ninth minute to show he was alive. In the 40th minute, just before the break, Azpilicueta posted a further two balls before ending with a letter, completing a low cross by Mount, to tie the game.
London’s attitude until the tie served to assuage the anxiety of the most pessimistic in the stand, but the second half reappeared the fear of the zebras as, despite a few strikes, the Blues surrendered well in time to complete. were not able to. Bids thus passed, and the tie insisted on remaining on the scoreboard until the end of regulation time.
In overtime, both teams showed signs of fatigue, but attempted to try plays in the attack. Then, in the last game before the end of the first 15 minutes, Havertz scored with Timo Werner, received on the left side of the field and reduced to the middle, from where Marcos Alonso struck first and scored.
Back on the scoreboard, Plymouth took the risk in the second half and were on the attacking ground. The stand paid off when the referee awarded a penalty by Sir in the tenth minute. Problem is, Hardy didn’t hit well and saw Kepa defending the kick, guaranteeing London classification.
