Hakim Ziyech sinks Middlesbrough to send Chelsea into FA Cup semi-final | FA Cup

[ad_1]

Uncertainty and confusion have made an unwelcome intrusion into Chelsea’s world but, for the moment at least, they show no signs of encroaching on to the pitch.

As a bewildering number of prospective buyers waited to learn if they might be handed the keys to Stamford Bridge, a mixture of occasionally ruthless control and measured efficiency propelled Chelsea the semi-finals courtesy of goals from Romelu Lukaku and the excellent Hakim Ziyech.

Middlesbrough are pushing hard for promotion from the Championship and eliminated Manchester United and Tottenham in earlier rounds, but despite some decent periods of intelligent play, they rarely succeeded in unhinging a visiting defence marshalled by Thiago Silva and Antonio Rüdiger.

Middlesbrough kicked off exhibiting the sort of quiet confidence befitting a side that had won their previous nine home games but their reasons for optimism were dented after 14 minutes.

When Ziyech’s delivery picked out Mason Mount wide on the right, the latter was allowed to advance and unleash a beautifully weighted low cross for Lukaku to sweep into the back of net courtesy of a first-time shot from six yards.

“Champions of Europe, we know who we are,” chanted the 700-odd Chelsea fans gathered in the south-east corner of the ground. That select band had bought tickets before the government imposed sanctions against their club’s departing owner, Roman Abramovich, preventing any further sales of seats to away supporters.

Mount created Chelsea’s second goal, too. This time Middlesbrough’s attempt to press their guests into submission broke down, resulting in a counterattack featuring Mount running with the ball before playing in Ziyech and watching his fellow player’s left foot do the rest.

Ziyech celebrated his 29th birthday in style. After cutting in he extended his favored foot and sent an audacious, angled 20-yard shot swerving and dipping beyond the outstretched fingertips of Joe Lumley.

Within minutes, Lumley was rescued by Anfernee Dijksteel, the defender’s impeccably timed goalline clearance denying Lukaku a second goal after the Belgian had wrongfooted the goalkeeper. Given that Dijksteel had impressed in the back three with some important interceptions, it seemed rather appropriate that he, albeit briefly, enjoyed a moment in the spotlight.

As the sun sank behind the main stand and the sky morphed from blue to dusky pink, Édouard Mendy remained a peripheral figure as Middlesbrough struggled to get behind Rüdiger and company. Despite the best efforts of Isaiah Jones, Middlesbrough’s talented right wing-back, the Chelsea defense persistently second-guessed even his most inventive manoeuvres. When the Championship side finally managed a shot, Jonny Howson failed to trouble Mendy.

The Fiver: sign up and get our daily football email.

Chelsea’s continued resistance to the pressing tactics that have undone so many second-tier opponents must have left Wilder wishing the government had not relented to the London club’s pleas for an enhanced travel allowance. Maybe, just maybe, if they had stuck to the original budget and forced Chelsea to travel to the north-east by bus rather than fly to Teesside airport they might have shown signs of tiredness as dusk descended. Instead Ziyech in particular looked lively.

Wilder’s cause was further hindered by the injuries to two members of his back three that forced the replacement of Dael Fry and then Paddy McNair with the 37-year-old Sol Bamba and the 35-year-old Lee Peltier. Not that Bamba remotely showed his years, though, as his exquisite tackle came between Lukaku and another Chelsea goal.

If only Folarin Balogun, Middlesbrough’s striker on loan from Arsenal, had shown similar composure after Matt Crook’s smart backheel flick had fooled Malang Sarr and left him with only Mendy to beat. Unable to seize the moment, Balogun sent a shot ballooning over the bar as the thoughts of the home fans surely began turning into their hopes of securing a play-off place.

Hakim Ziyech fires in to double Chelsea’s lead against Middlesbrough. Photograph: Richard Lee/Shutterstock

At least Lumley atoned for his arguable culpability in the second goal when he palmed away a header from the substitute Timo Werner in the wake of Ziyech’s whipped-in free-kick.

Middlesbrough improved as the second half wore on and Mendy had to react quickly to intercept Duncan Watmore’s menacing cross as Josh Coburn, the scorer of the fifth-roundwinner against Spurs, waited to lash it over the line.

It was not to be but Middlesbrough have enriched this season’s FA Cup and their owner, Steve Gibson, looked unusually emotional as the ground choir sang “Stand up if you love the Boro” and “Only one Stevie Gibson”.

[ad_2]