Chelsea 2-1 Leicester City – FA Cup: Live score and updates as Axel Disasi scores an all-time great DISASTROUS own goal from 25 yards out

Leicester with their tails up now as Fatawu delivers a dangerous cross into the middle that Daka can’t quite reach.

The noise coming from the 6,000 away fans now.

That’s spiced up the atmosphere as Sanchez comes out and kisses Disasi by means of consolation.

Down the other end, Chelsea respond and Nicolas Jackson fires into the side-netting. Moises Caicedo then with a low drive that is well saved.

Game on! What an absolute gift from Axel Disasi to give Leicester a lifeline.

It stemmed from a throw-in backwards to Disasi, Sanchez had come miles and miles off his line, and the defender’s attempted back pass under pressure beat Sanchez and went into the empty net.

Another Chelsea calamity and Leicester back in a game that was won.

Another positive run by Leicester’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who drew the foul having been unable to feed Patson Daka’s run.

It gives Leicester a central free-kick position but Winks’ ball isn’t controlled by Fatawu and another Leicester moment fades. They’ll need to do better.

We are back off and running for the second half. No changes.

Can Leicester find a route back into this?

Here’s BBC panel Dion Dublin and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink speaking at half-time:

Dublin: For years and years Raheem has been in these situations and he’s not very good at them. When you get into those situations you’ve got to know what’shappening. Gary you’ve done it for years and years.

On the shoulders of defenders you know what finish you will use before you get into that position. He’s thinking ‘what am I going to do’ and he gets it wrong. He gets in some great positions though.

Hasselbaink: He’s not good at finishing when he has time and he has to think. He’s very good at finishing when it’s instinctive and quick and puts them away. He’s brilliant.

When he has time a lot of things go through your head and he picks the wrong execution and that’s what he did there.

Very much topical following that first-half, here’s our very own Riath Al-Samarrai on Raheem Sterling being left out another England squad this week and his Euro 2024 hopes.

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Well, Chelsea got their second goal in the end and are very firmly on their way to a Wembley semi-final.

Raheem Sterling the key character in the first-half after Marc Cucurella had tapped home their opener.

He saw a poor penalty – that he’d won – saved by Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk, then raced through on goal only to miss the target.

But Sterling atoned by crossing for Cole Palmer to score their second and it’s a long way back for Leicester from here.

Well into three minutes of stoppage time and Conor Gallagher looks for the third as he curls an effort just wide while slipping over.

Ok, that’s more like it and this FA Cup tie could be done and dusted.

Sterling atones with the assist, using his pace to breeze past two Leicester defenders before rolling the ball across to Palmer, six yards out, to side-foot home Chelsea’s second.

They’ve made heavy work of this game but have now doubled their lead.

Oh and Sterling has to score!

Played clean through, just the keeper to beat after the perfectly-timed run – and he puts it wide.

That should have been the game put to bed but he’s missed by a fair distance. Really not his day.

Leicester just enjoying a little bit more possession, as Fatawu plays Stephy Mavididi in and his dinked cross is basically straight into the gloves of Sanchez.

The Foxes causing occasional problems for Chelsea’s rearguard.

Nicolas Jackson in some discomfort on the turf after Wout Faes blundered into him.

Seven minutes left in the first-half and though Chelsea have the lead, this game is far from won.

Good play by Mudryk, who looks like Chelsea’s most dangerous player. He breaks into a pocket of space and decides it’s better to shoot rather than release Cole Palmer.

His strike has venom and Leicester keeper Stolarczyk pushed it away.

Sanchez again coming for and failing to claim a ball into Chelsea’s box. He then ran straight into Vestergaard and hurt himself. Not his finest few seconds.

Here’s BBC pundit Martin Keown on that penalty miss by Sterling:

It certainly is (a shocker) One of the players that you look to in this new generation of Chelsea players to be assured and he hits it straight down the middle.

There’s no quality in that at all. No real purpose, no power, comfortable for the keeper.

Oh dear, that’s a real shocker by Raheem Sterling.

It’s straight down the middle and far too close to keeper Stolarczyk, who comfortably saves it diving to his right. The ball hitting his legs.

Rueful expression on Sterling’s face.

Sterling is cleaned out inside the box by Adbul Fatawu tracking back. No hesitation by referee Andy Madley – that’s a Chelsea penalty and a golden chance to put this tie beyond Leicester.

That’s a good chance for Leicester as they seek an equaliser. Fatawu with a tempting left-footed cross from the right flank and Patson Daka gets up but cannot steer his header on target.

Chelsea sense that if they get a second it may well settle the contest. In fairness, Leicester’s priority is winning promotion.

But Axel Disasi has brought down Dewsbury-Hall and Leicester can relieve the pressure a bit. Dewsbury-Hall delivers a cross from the left and Sanchez comes and misses it.

Luckily for him, there wasn’t anyone behind.

Robert Sanchez dawdling on the ball and Patson Daka, pressing him well, almost took advantage. Chelsea got away with that one.

Down the other end and Mudryk’s shot is blocked by his own man Sterling, after the England winger had tried to fashion his own chance. It was going in by the looks of the replays.

Chelsea really in the mood as Mudryk at full tilt tries to slip Jackson free inside the Leicester box. The Ukrainian couldn’t quite get the weight of pass right.

Another long ball played forward, this time by Moises Caicedo seeking out Nicolas Jackson down the centre. Again, the target just unable to bring it under his spell and Stolarczyk can come out and claim for Leicester.

Down the other hand, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall overhits a cross from the left.

Bright start to the game as a searching pass over to the right side looks for Malo Gusto’s run. It’s a touch overhit and Gusto runs out of bounds to the delight of the Leicester fans there.

Chelsea force a couple of corners in quick succession and Leicester living very dangerously.

Mudryk delivered and Cole Palmer with the cutest of flicks at the near post that looped up and struck the far post before Leicester really realised what was going on. They get away with it.

Bright start by Leicester as they force a corner inside the opening minute. It’s played short, then worked to the back post where Harry Winks can’t direct his shot on target. Nicely worked set-piece routine though by Maresca’s men.

Off and running in west London. Leicester in their change colours, a dark blue or black with lighter blue trim. Chelsea in familiar blue and white.

KIERAN GILL AT STAMFORD BRIDGE: Good atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge for such an early kick-off on a Sunday. Leicester’s fans are up for it, although some supporters are holding up a banner which reads: ‘£38 – magic of the cup?’

Pre-match formalities are done and dusted, the third of the four FA Cup quarter-finals is about to get underway at Stamford Bridge.

Can Chelsea preserve Premier League pride, or can Championship leaders Leicester spring an upset?

It’s a sell-out Stamford Bridge crowd for this FA Cup quarter-final and everybody is taking their seats as the players go through their final preparations and superstitions.

Over 6,000 Leicester fans packing one end of the stadium for this one and a great atmosphere building as the teams assemble in the tunnel.

• Chelsea have progressed from seven of their eight FA Cup ties against Leicester. The exception was a 1-0 defeat in their most recent meeting in the 2021 final.
• Leicester have won just one of their past 13 away games against Chelsea, beating them 1-0 in the Premier League in December 2018.
• Chelsea have won their past five FA Cup quarter-finals, since losing to Everton in 2015-16. The Blues have reached the semi-final of the competition in five of the past seven campaigns.
• Raheem Sterling has scored four goals in his past two appearances against Leicester, including a double for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in August 2022 – his first goals for the Blues.
• All seven of Leicester’s FA Cup goals this season have been scored by different players, with only six clubs having more scorers in the competition this season.

The Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has just been speaking on the BBC’s coverage. Here’s what he had to say on the magnitude of today’s game:

Always, the game is very important for us. We have to improve our position in the table in the Premier League and we have played a final in the Carabao Cup. But now in the FA Cup also, it’s really important for us.

We have to go to the pitch and approach the game respecting Leicester because they are a very good team. They are doing fantastic in the Championship and of course it’s not going to be easy.

Yesterday Wolves v Coventry was a really difficult game, that’s the beauty of the FA Cup and that’s why we’re very conscious we need to perform well today.

We know we are Chelsea and Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world and that patience sometimes is not easy to get for the fans because they want to see the team performing and winning titles but it’s true we are in a different project now and we need to accept that.

Dion Dublin and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink are in the BBC studio alongside Gary Lineker today and here’s some thoughts on the importance of today for Chelsea:

Dublin: This is the last chance (for Chelsea to win a trophy), the players will think that as well. This is a real chance of silverware. They’ve had a poor season their standards are higher than that.

Chelsea will expect a trophy every season that’s what the fans demand. This is about doing a professional Premier League performance against a side they should be beating.

Hasselbaink: It was always going to be a season about ups and downs. They’ve been playing really well against the bigger teams like Liverpool, Man City but when they have to make the game itself they have struggled here and there.

Yes, the punters they want trophies but it’s a different club it’s taking time and you have to be patient. You have to understand a lot of the young players.

They have got a lot of young players who have to develop and they have to take time with. You can see they’re talented but it will take time.

Made in Manchester, Cole Palmer could easily have stayed at home with the best team in the world, a club who can practically guarantee their players a glut of trophies.

Instead, he had the confidence to score in the Community Shield and Super Cup at the start of this season and then tell City: let me leave because I deserve to be playing week in, week out. Watching him for Chelsea, you can see why he insisted he was ready.

This 21-year-old is an immense talent. He is cool, classy and measured, with a little maverick in him, and determined to prove why he deserves to represent England at Euro 2024.

Both teams being put through their paces as we fast approach the 12.45pm kick-off.

It’s been a season of cruel injury blows for Reece James and now Gareth Southgate has suggested his Euro 2024 place with England is at risk if he doesn’t prove his ‘physical resistance’.

While Leicester will be fully focused on the task at hand in the Cup, they’ll also be keeping half-an-eye later on when Leeds United host Millwall in the Championship.

If Leeds win by a two-goal margin, they’ll go above Leicester and top of the Championship.

Yesterday, Ipswich bolstered their promotion credentials with a 6-0 rout of Sheffield Wednesday and now sit just a point and a place behind the Foxes in a gripping promotion race.

A few snaps of Chelsea stars Cole Palmer and Ben Chilwell greeting fans as they walk into the stadium.

The Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha is also seen greeting fans of his team already inside the ground.

Leicester City XI: Stolarczyk; Choudhury, Faes, Vestergaard, Doyle, Ndidi, Dewsbury-Hall, Winks, Fatawu, Mavididi, Daka.

Substitutes: Ward; Coady, Nelson, Justin, Yunus, Albrighton, Marcal, Iheanacho, Cannon.

Enzo Maresca has made four changes from the Leicester side that drew 2-2 at Hull last Saturday.

Coming in are Jakub Stolarczyk in goal, Callum Doyle, Wilfred Ndidi and Patson Daka in place of Mads Hermansen, James Justin, Yunus Akgun and the injured Jamie Vardy.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Chalobah, Cucurella; Gallagher, Caicedo; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson

Substitutes: Petrovic (GK); Badiashile, Thiago Silva, Acheampong, Chilwell, Harrison, Chukwuemeka, Madueke, Washington

Pochettino clearly ‘up for the Cup’ with that strong team selection. Aside from switching the goalkeeper, that looks like about as strong as Chelsea could go at the moment.

Enzo Fernandez is suspended for today’s tie. Mykhailo Mudryk is the player brought in, with Conor Gallagher likely to play a bit deeper.

The only other change is between the sticks with Robert Sanchez in for Djordje Petrovic.

Stay tuned for the two confirmed team line-ups as we approach an hour until kick-off in west London.

Here’s pictures of Chelsea boss Pochettino and some of the Leicester players walking in.

Here’s Leicester inspecting the pitch at Stamford Bridge after arriving just a few minutes ago.

Heart-warming scenes this week as Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino became the drillmaster by hosting a 130-person BBQ at their Cobham training ground.

Apparently, there were sausages, steaks and cuisine from various different countries to keep his cosmopolitan squad satisfied.

But obviously the club nutritionists had their say and fries (and alcohol) were banned.

As you can see from these pictures of some of the early-arriving fans at Stamford Bridge, it’s a bit of a wet one in London.

Mind you, it seems to be pretty damp across most of the country. Anyway, it should make for a slick surface beneath those leaden grey skies.

The Championship leaders may come to Stamford Bridge as the underdogs but they’ll be backed by 6,015 fans, who’ll pack out The Shed this afternoon.

It promises to be a fantastic atmosphere as the Foxes aim to repeat their win over Chelsea in the 2021 final.

Two down, two to go in terms of this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-finals.

As we’ve seen, Man City and Coventry are already through to the last four.

Chelsea vs Leicester City is next up at 12.45pm and then later on it’s the humdinger at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Liverpool, a 3.30pm kick-off.

As for the draw for the semi-finals, that’ll take place after the action finishes at Old Trafford later. Mark Pougatch will host the draw, with Ian Wright pulling the balls from the velvet bag.

Apparently, it will take place within 15 minutes of the final whistle.

The ball numbers are: 1 – Coventry City; 2 – Manchester United or Liverpool; 3 – Chelsea or Leicester City and 4 – Manchester City.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: For the last 34 years Mark Robins has been known best as the man who saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s job but now the Coventry manager is writing an even better FA Cup story of his own.

Robins’ goals in the 1990 competition helped United reach the Final and eased the pressure on Ferguson. They beat Crystal Palace in a replay at Wembley and 23 years later, Ferguson retired as arguably the greatest manager in the history of the game.

Robins will never have that tag but what he has achieved at Coventry is remarkable. They are back at Wembley in the Cup for the first time since winning it in 1987 and they will remember this classic quarter-final for nearly as long as that one.

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IAN LADYMAN: After the turmoil and the chaos of Anfield last weekend, this was the return of the Manchester City we know. Ordered, purposeful, reliable and, of course, utterly in control. Pep Guardiola’s team are in to yet another domestic cup semi-final and nobody will be the least bit surprised about that.

Admittedly the opposition are battered, bruised and going backwards. Newcastle, so soon after the highs of last season, are currently heading in the wrong direction at an alarmingly and increasingly predictable rate.

No shortage of effort from Eddie Howe’s team but the truth is they were never in this game, not really. City were impressively relentless throughout and the fact they have now progressed to six FA Cup semi-finals in a row says everything about them. No team has ever done that before.

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Coventry City and Manchester City have already booked their FA Cup semi-final spots with their fans already looking forward to a trip to Wembley next month.

This lunchtime, we’ll find out the identity of the third side through to the final four.

On paper, Chelsea should be the favourites as they welcome Championship Leicester City to Stamford Bridge.

But Enzo Maresca’s side have taken the second-tier by storm this season as they look to return to the top division at the first time of asking.

They will certainly give Mauricio Pochettino’s side plenty to think about and will be backed by a legion of fans in what is a repeat of the 2021 FA Cup final.

Back then it was Leicester who emerged victorious, lifting the famous trophy for the first time in their history.

What will be the outcome today? Welcome along to our live coverage of Chelsea vs Leicester City.