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Moses Rested as Chelsea Secure Carabao Cup Semi-Final Spot
Chelsea clinched a hard-fought victory against a determined Bournemouth side in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge. The absence of Super Eagles forward Victor Moses from Chelsea’s matchday squad raised eyebrows, but the Blues managed to secure their passage into the semi-finals with a late goal from Alvaro Morata.
The game kicked off with an early attempt on goal from Bournemouth’s Dan Gosling in the sixth minute, but he failed to find the target. It was Chelsea, however, who took the lead in the 12th minute through a goal from Willian. The Brazilian winger calmly tapped the ball into an empty net after a precise pass from Cesc Fabregas.
Bournemouth made an early substitution in the 15th minute, as Jermain Defoe was replaced by Jordon Ibe due to a previous challenge by Ethan Ampadu. Ibe almost equalized for Bournemouth in the 23rd minute, but his shot hit the side netting.
Chelsea’s hopes for a penalty were dashed in the 36th minute when Michy Batshuayi went down inside the box, but the referee waved play on. As the first half drew to a close, Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser delivered a dangerous ball into the Chelsea area, but Ampadu cleared the danger.
The visitors started the second half strongly, pushing for an equalizer. Bournemouth had a couple of chances, but the Chelsea defense held firm. Gosling had an opportunity to level the score in the 79th minute, but he blazed his shot over the bar.
With just one minute of regulation time remaining, Bournemouth’s persistence paid off as Gosling fired a powerful shot past Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero from the edge of the box, drawing the score level. However, Chelsea responded instantly. From the kick-off, Eden Hazard produced a brilliant back heel pass to Morata, who calmly poked the ball beyond Bournemouth’s Artur Boruc, securing a 2-1 victory for Chelsea.
The Blues’ triumph sees them progress to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, keeping their hopes of silverware alive. Manager Antonio Conte will be pleased with his team’s resilience in the face of a spirited Bournemouth performance. As for Victor Moses, his absence from the matchday squad raises questions about his future role at the club.
