December 20th 2023.
Mykhailo Mudryk scored Chelsea's late equaliser against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, preserving their chance to reach the semi-finals in a penalty shootout. The Toon Army had taken the lead in the 16th minute thanks to a goal from Callum Wilson, only to have their dreams of another trip to Wembley dashed by a moment of loss of concentration from Kieran Trippier in the dying minutes of the match.
The England international's weak header allowed Mudryk to pounce and send the contest to a penalty shootout, which Chelsea eventually won 4-2. Trippier's misery was further compounded by missing a penalty, prompting the experienced full-back to look distraught as Chelsea's players celebrated Djordje Petrovic's decisive save.
Mudryk, who had followed his goal with a successful penalty conversion, was quick to send a message of support for Trippier on Instagram. He wrote: 'Kieran, I just wanna say to you: stay strong. Sometimes s**t happens but I think you are strong footballer, no matter what.'
For Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, the victory was a huge boost after a string of disappointing Premier League results that had left his side languishing in mid-table mediocrity. He said: 'I am so pleased and the players deserve some credit. After conceding the way we did, we didn't deserve to concede, it can affect any team. We reacted really well and dominated the game against a very good team like Newcastle.'
Pochettino went on to express his delight at his team's performance in the face of adversity, and his satisfaction at their eventual achievement of the objective of reaching the semi-finals. He concluded: 'The most important thing in football is to believe until the end and that was possible because we kept believing and then always we know penalties are a lottery. Of course, talent and quality. Of course, so pleased because our objective before the game was to go through to the semi-final.'
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