Chelsea secured their spot in the semifinals of the Carabao Cup by beating Newcastle United 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.

The Blues owe their survival to Ukraine international Mykhailo Mudryk, who scored a crucial 92nd-minute equalizer after coming on as a substitute.

Initially, Newcastle seemed poised for a 1-0 victory in west London until Kieran Trippier, failed to intercept a Malo Gusto cross. This lapse allowed Mudryk to score and level the tie at 1-1, leading to the decisive penalty shootout.

Trippier’s night went from bad to worse when he missed Newcastle’s second penalty, and Chelsea’s goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, making only his second start, made an athletic save to deny Matt Ritchie’s effort.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe expressed support for Trippier, stating, “Trips is an incredibly strong character. When he’s given us so much, now’s our turn to support him and look after him the other way, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Chelsea fell behind in the 16th minute when Callum Wilson capitalized on an error by Benoit Badiashile and struggled to break down Newcastle’s well-organized defence despite dominating possession.

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Mudryk, along with Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, and Conor Gallagher, all scored in the penalty shootout for Chelsea.

Currently sitting in 10th place in the Premier League and absent from European competition, Chelsea is banking on success in domestic cups in their first season under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

On the other hand, the defeat is another setback for Newcastle, who haven’t won a major trophy since the 1950s. This loss follows their elimination from the Champions League the previous week.