Chelsea to ban fan who confronted Newcastle United star after Mykhailo Mudryk's equalizer in EFL Cup Q/F: Reports
Chelsea have decided to ban the fan who confronted Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka during their Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday, December 19, according to The Mirror. The Blues will issue a ban restricting the fan from attending games at Stamford Bridge.
The Carabao Cup quarterfinal meeting saw Chelsea face Newcastle United for a second time in under a month, this time at Stamford Bridge. Their previous clash, in the Premier League, ended in a 4-1 win for Newcastle United at St. James' Park in late November.
Despite being the dominant force for most of the match, the Blues were trailing in the latter stages of the game and seemed to be on their way out of the competition. Callum Wilson had given the Magpies the lead in the 16th minute.
Mauricio Pochettino introduced 22-year-old winger Mykhailo Mudryk off the bench as a replacement for Raheem Sterling in the 78th minute. The Ukraine international capitalized on an error from Kieran Trippier in second-half stoppage time and leveled the scores.
The goal sent the Stamford Bridge crowd, which had been subdued for much of the night, into raptures.
Following the goal, a fan jumped over the advertising hoardings and bumped a sullen Dubravka with his chest excitedly before making his way back to the stands. The match was stopped for around a minute afterwards as efforts were made to identify the offender.
The offender is yet to be identified and the police are conducting an investigation. According to the report, finding the culprit has become difficult as there were fewer season ticket holders in attendance for the cup game.
Chelsea went on to win the match 4-2 in the penalty shootout and booked their place in the semifinals of the competition. They will face one of Middlesbrough, Fulham, or Liverpool/West Ham over two legs for a place in the final.
Chelsea closing in on first trophy under Todd Boehly
Todd Boehly, leader of the investment group which took control of Chelsea last year, has faced a lot of criticism over his handling of the club's affairs. The owners will be hoping that the Blues can secure their first piece of silverware since their arrival this season.
Chelsea have qualified for the last four of the Carabao Cup and the draw for the semifinals will take place on Wednesday, December 20, after the clash between Liverpool and West Ham. The semifinal's first-leg will be held on the week commencing from Monday, January 8, while the second leg will be on the week commencing Monday, January 22.
The Blues, under Thomas Tuchel, reached the final of the competition two years ago when Liverpool beat them on penalties.