“He looks upset there” - Karen Carney expresses concern over Chelsea star despite thrilling win over Newcastle
Sky Sports pundit Karen Carney believes Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez looked upset at the full-time whistle despite the Blues narrowly beating Newcastle in the EFL Cup quarter-finals on December 19.
Mauricio Pochettino and Co. faced Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in a bid to secure a spot in the EFL Cup semi-finals. They got off to a torrid start when some poor defending from Benoit Badiashile allowed Callum Wilson to break the deadlock in the 16th minute.
The Magpies defended, well but just when it seemed as if they were going to hold on to their lead to win, disaster struck. Kieran Trippier wasn't able to clear his lines following Malo Gusto's cross in the 92nd minute. Mykhailo Mudryk took full advantage of his error, leveling the scores and sending the game to a penalty shootout.
Chelsea came out on top in the penalties, winning 4-2. Trippier and Matt Ritchie were guilty of missing their spot-kicks.
However, the spotlight was on Fernandez after the game. The Argentina international was brought back into the starting XI, starting alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield. However, he was subbed off in the 32nd minute for Armando Broja for reportedly not feeling well.
Fernandez looked distraught at full-time even though the Blues came on top. This led to Carney saying (via The Chelsea Chronicle):
“He looks upset there Enzo, hopefully it isn’t serious or an injury or anything.”
The Blues will face either one of Liverpool/West Ham United, Fulham, or Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup semi-finals. The draw is set to take place later tonight (December 20).
How did Chelsea fare against Newcastle in the EFL Cup quarter-finals?
Chelsea showed great resilience to come back at the death to edge past Newcastle United 4-2 on penalties after their game ended 1-1 in normal time. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
Mauricio Pochettino's men comfortably dominated possession with 78 percent of the ball. They also attempted a mammoth total of 861 passes, with an accuracy of 90 percent. In contrast, Newcastle had 22 percent possession and attempted 241 passes with an accuracy of 70 percent.
Chelsea also looked more threatening up front, registering a total of 15 shots, with four being on target. However, it did take a notable error by Trippier in stoppage time for them to score. Meanwhile, the Magpies could only muster four shots in total, landing two on target.