CHELSEA have beaten Championship side Blackburn Rovers 2-0 to progress to the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
The Blues’ opener came through Benoit Badiashile’s emphatic finish in the first half.
Chelsea had a second on the hour mark when Raheem Sterling’s stunner flew past Leopold Wahlstedt in the Rovers goal to put Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the quarter-finals.
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That’s it for now
Make sure you read all the reaction from across the country tonight as well as our top stories here.
And don’t forget the Carabao Cup draw is on the way – follow that here to find out who Chelsea get!
Goodnight.
Tough to come…
There will be tougher games to come for Chelsea in the coming weeks.
Poch heads back to high flying Spurs on Monday night in a hotly-anticipated encounter.
Then it’s Man City and Newcastle that follows before a home clash with Brighton.
Tough indeed
From the front
Reece James was heavily involved throughout the night on his first start for seven weeks.
He didn’t have much defending to do and registered four shots on the night.
Top three
The Chelsea admin selecting the three players up for tonight’s man of the match.
Cole Palmer would just edge it for me and Enzo probably unlucky not to find himself in the shake-up.
So, who next?
There’s a few big boys out the way, so who do you want next, Blues fans?
I would think they wouldn’t be too disappointed with a home draw that doesn’t involve Liverpool or Newcastle.
Maybe if you shout loud enough…
Other scores tonight….
And the big news on the night is Arsenal are OUT after a 3-1 defeat to West Ham.
While Manchester United look set to follow them as Newcastle are 3-0 up after an hour at Old Trafford!
Middlesbrough and Port Vale progressed last night.
Ipswich 1 Fulham 3
Bournemouth 1 Liverpool 2
West Ham 3 Arsenal 1
Everton 3 Burnley 0
Man Utd 0 Newcastle 3 (latest)
Chelsea go through
Badiashile and Sterling goals see Chelsea canter past Blackburn at Stamford Bridge.
They never really had to get out second gear and really could and should have been more.
FULL TIME!!
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
A comfortable evening for Chelsea as they book their place in the Carabao Cup quarter finals!
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
90+3. That was Blackburn’s chance!
Sigurdsson is sent clean through, one-on-one and he delays and delays and delays his effort.
He eventually fires low and hard towards the bottom corner and Sanchez reads it and parries it wide with a strong hand.
Not sure how he didn’t score there but you could see the panic in him as he ran towards goal!
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
90+2. Nearly! Sterling drives forward and feeds Cucurella to his left, who sends a deep ball in which Gusto meets and sends a shot well over the bar from the edge.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
Four minutes added on at the end here.
Enough time for one more goal…?
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
89. Hill with a wild attempt from the edge of the box for Blackburn.
It scoops high and wide as they are yet to find the target.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
87. Double change for Chelsea:
- OFF: Enzo & Palmer
- ON: Madueke & Matos
CLOSE! Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
85. Sterling again. He stands his man up inside the box before a drop of the shoulder and drive wide.
He smashes the ball low and hard across goal, narrowly missing the far post for his second of the game.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
84. Rare Blackburn chance as a good cross finds Garrett 12 yards from goal.
There’s not much pace on the cross and his header drifts harmlessly wide.
Just not been their night at all.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
82. Sterling again with all the time in the world to drive into the box on the right.
Blackburn defenders stand off him and he is allowed to pick his head and deliver a cross.
The visitors lucky that Sterling smashes the cross and sends it out for a throw in, somehow.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
82. Chelsea playing keep ball now as Palmer now makes his way to play the central striker role.
He’s had another big impact and could’ve had a goal or two to show for his efforts tonight.
There’s still time though….
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
81. Sterling nearly manages to squeeze the ball through for Palmer to get himself a goal.
It just skips away from the 21-year-old and out for a goal kick.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
79. Caicedo’s first act is to cover for Ugochukwu who stalls in possession and loses it 35 yards from goal.
Caicedo fouls his man for a dangerous free kick, though they take it quick and it comes to nothing.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
76. Chelsea change:
- OFF: Nicolas Jackson
- ON: Moises Caicedo
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
75. Chelsea are attacking at will now. Gallagher drives towards the edge and Cucurella’s run opens the space for him.
He tries to bend a strike into the far corner which bounces a yard wide.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
73. More good play down the left from Blackburn and Wharton looks set to get his head to a great stand-up cross.
Cucurella just leans into him and sends him to ground but the referee not interested.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
Just prior to that, Sterling got free in down the right and opted to lay the ball back for Jackson who ballooned high over the bar.
He’s then sent in behind again but takes too many touches to get the ball under his spell and the defenders clear.
OFF THE POST! Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
69. It’s Palmer again who gets free and is running at the Rovers backline.
His fierce effort takes a huge ricochet which sends the ball flying towards the near post before crashing off the upright and going behind.
Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn
66. Better play from Blackburn but they’re just lacking that killer ball.
Pickering doing well to get down the left before running into trouble and they’re back at halfway to start again.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
