Leicester & Chelsea storm into FA Cup Semi’s

FA Cup final

Updated: 11/12/2024

2020-21 FA Cup Quarter-finals round-up: City, Leicester & Chelsea storm into the semis

Everton 0, Manchester City 2

Pep Guardiola's Man City kept their quest for a quadruple alive as they beat Everton 0-2 at Goodison Park to reach the Final four of the 2020-21 FA Cup.

City started in dominant fashion, having more of the ball, but goalscoring opportunities eluded both teams as they went into the interval. Calo Ancelotti's Everton defending deep for most part, had the best chance of the first half just before the break when Yerry Mina's header from a corner was cleared off the line by Oleksandr Zinchenko.

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Raheem Sterling came very close to breaking the deadlock on the hour mark but his attempt from close range was stunningly saved by Everton goalkeeper Joao Virginia, deputizing for an injured Jordan Pickford.

Phil Foden tried his luck from outside the area in the 67th minute but his effort went wide. Just when it looked like a fiercely contested quarter final tie was heading for extra time, City broke Everton's resistance in the 84th minute.

Ilkay Gundogan reacted fast inside the area to nod the ball in after Aymeric Laporte's shot came off the crossbar. Kevin de Bruyne coming in as a late substitute with ten minutes of normal playing time to go, put the game beyond the Toffees’ reach as he led a counterattack and finished for his team's second of the night in the 90th.

This will be City's third successive FA Cup semi-final for the first time since 1934. But Guardiola's will not be content with anything short of a silverware. On the other hand, Everton's wait to win a trophy for the first time since 1995 still goes on.

Leicester City 3, Manchester United 1

Leicester City reached their first semi-finals of the FA Cup in 39 years after they deservedly eliminated Manchester United 3-1 at the King Power stadium on Sunday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United who inexplicably started without key players Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw were colourless against the much more positive Foxes who took the lead through the in-form Kelechi Iheanacho in the 24th minute.

Fred's awful back pass to goalkeeper Dean Henderson was pounced upon by the alert Iheanacho who rounded past the United custodian to slot in with the greatest of ease.

United scored against the run of play as Paul Pogba was afforded space on the left and his cross was dummied by Donny van de Beek for Mason Greenwood to shoot past Kasper Schmeichel from eight yards. 1-1 in the 38th minute and it seemed as if United were about to script one of their familiar comebacks after being a goal down.

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But that was not to be as Youri Tielemans put the Foxes in front just seven minutes after the interval. Tielemans exchanged passes with Iheanacho as they eluded Nemanja Matic in the midfield and the Belgian mustered the speed needed to blast open the United defense and find the bottom corner of the net from 18 yards in a classy finish.

Jamie Vardy could have easily killed the tie off in the 58th minute but he inexplicably dragged his shot wide in an one-on-one situation with Henderson. Iheanacho, too, had the opportunity to settle the issue but shot wide at the near post with just the goalkeeper to beat.

But the Nigerian found his second of the night and Leicester's third in the 78th minute when he headed home from Marc Albrighton's free kick. Solksjaer tried mending things by introducing Fernandes and Shaw in the 64th minute but to no avail as United continued to look jaded.

The Leicester win was made to look even more significant as they were without the outstanding James Maddison and Harvey Barnes upfront and the defensive excellence of James Justin.

The Foxes now play Southampton who eased past Bournemouth 3-0 in another quarter-final game on Saturday.


Chelsea 2, Sheffield United 0

Chelsea earned a semi-final berth in the 2020-21 FA Cup as they eased past Sheffield United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. An own-goal from Sheffield midfielder Oliver Norwood and a late Hakim Ziyech strike were sufficient to seal their second consecutive entry into the tournament's Final four.

Thomas Tuchel's Blues went ahead under fortunate circumstances in the 24th minute as Ben Chilwell's low cross was steered into his own net by Norwood. Christian Pulisic nearly doubled Chelsea's lead before the interval but could not capitalize on another Norwood mistake as his effort was blocked by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

The American forward went close to scoring minutes after the interval but Ramsdale's save denied him once again. Sheffield striker David McGoldrick wasted a glorious chance to equalize in the 67th minute as he sent his diving close-range header wide from a John Lundstram cross.

Sheffield had further opportunities to go level but Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made good saves from Oliver McBurnie and McGoldrick attempts, while Rhian Brewster hit the side-netting late on.

Hakim Ziyech put the game to bed from a Chelsea counterattack as he drove one low in stoppage time to take the Blues into the last four where they cone up against Manchester City.

Chelsea have now won 10 of their 14 games under Thomas Tuchel and kept seven clean sheets to boot.

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