London (AFP)
Chelsea and its London neighbors West Ham made it through to the FA Cup semi-finals with difficulty, after they needed an extension to beat Plymouth Argyle from the third level and Kidderminster Harriers from the sixth level, respectively, by 1-2.
At home, and in the absence of his German coach, Thomas Tuchel, who was infected with the Corona virus, which prevented him from traveling Sunday with the team to the Emirates to participate in the Club World Cup, Chelsea avoided the fate of its rival Manchester United, and continued his career in the competition, thanks to his Spanish international goalkeeper Kepa Arisabalaga, who saved a penalty kick for the guests. In the 118th minute, after a mistake in the forbidden area by Frenchman Malang walked on Ryan Hardy, who himself carried it out without translating it.
And “United” bid farewell to the competition on Friday, losing at home on penalties 7-8 at the hands of Middlesbrough from the second level “Championship”, after a tie in the original and extra time 1-1, which is the same result that ended in the original time of the Chelsea match and runners-up last season. And his humble guest, who surprised the European champions, with a goal in the 8th minute, with a Macaulay Gillesvi header.
The champion of the most prestigious competition in the world waited eight times, most recently in 2018, until the 41st minute to return to the meeting with a goal from Spaniard Cesar Aspilicueta after a cross from Mason Mount.
Despite his participation with all his stars, Chelsea were unable to reach their guest goal until the end of the original time, and then Al-Faraj came in added time from the first extra half through the other Spaniard, “alternative” Marcos Alonso, who scored for him the qualifying goal, after a pass from German Kai Havertz (1 +105), before the other Spaniard Kepa also shone by avoiding his team having to take a lucky penalty shootout.
Prior to the start of the match, Chelsea reported that Tuchel was infected with the Corona virus, adding, “The Chelsea coach will implement the necessary self-isolation protocols, and he hopes to join the team in Abu Dhabi later next week.
It will be unlikely that Tuchel will recover from “Covid-19”, in time to join the team before his first match in the Club World Cup on Wednesday in the semi-finals, when the European champion will face the winner of the Saudi Al Hilal, the Asian champion, and the Emirati Al-Jazira, the champion of the host country.
Like its neighbors Chelsea, West Ham also needed an extension to beat hosts Kidderminster Harriers 2-1 from the sixth level.
The London club, which occupies fifth place in the Premier League, was just around the corner from bidding farewell to the competition that won its title for the last time in 1980, as it remained behind with the goal scored by the host at the beginning of the meeting through Alex Penny (19) until the first minute of stoppage time before Substitute Declan Rice scored a 1+90 draw.
As happened at the end of the original time, the Scottish coach David Moyes’s team waited until the last seconds of the second overtime period to snatch the winning goal through Jared Bowen “1 + 120”.