Chelsea finally find their rhythm on FA Cup 1/16 finals win over Aston Villa. Harsh critics and low standing on Premier League table (currently ranked at 11th place) put pressure on the team and coach Pochettino. At Aston Villa, Chelsea turned up one of our greatest performances of the year thus far. This win was a mark of resilience and a sign of gratitude to their fans.

Match Goals and Highlights

Chelsea had come near a few times before taking the lead early on with the first of three excellent goals. However, the first goal was decisive when Conor Gallagher placed Noni Madueke's layoff into the upper corner.
Chelsea doubled their lead over Aston Villa before halftime thanks to a header from Nicolas Jackson, who had made his first start since returning from Africa Cup of Nations service. After the interval, Enzo Fernandez finished off a superb free kick into the top corner.
Even though Moussa Diaby gave Aston Villa a late goal by a shot off the post from the outside of the box, it was too late and Chelsea would now face their bitter rivals Leeds United at home in the FA Cup.

Enzo's Bold STATEMENT 

Many rumours had been swirling around regarding a possible exit of Argentinian player Enzo Fernández. While in a recent interview for AS his agent denied everything and stated  : 

Rumours about Enzo planning to leave Chelsea are NOT true”.

“Enzo has no intention of leaving. The leaders were very clear with this project”. “

When the pieces of team fit together well, Chelsea will move forward”

After a spectacular free kick the Argentinian went on to celebrate with Chelsea fans and removing his shirt. This was no more than a signal to all rumours that he is happy and will be staying on Chelsea for some time.

 Chelsea : Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile (Gilchrist 87), Chilwell (c); Gallagher, Caicedo, Enzo; Madueke (Sterling 75), Palmer (Thiago Silva 81), Jackson (Nkunku 72)
Subs: Bergstrom, Bettinelli, Samuels-Smith, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk
ScorerS: Gallagher 11, Jackson 21, Enzo 54
Booked: Enzo 55, Petrovic 76

Aston Villa : Martinez; Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno; Luiz, Kamara (Iroegbunam 88); Bailey (Zaniolo 88), Tielemans (Ramsey 72), McGinn (c) (Diaby 72); Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Wright, Torres, Chambers, Kellyman
Scorer: Diaby 90+1
Booked: Carlos 38

Enzo's Bold STATEMENT 

Many rumours had been swirling around regarding a possible exit of Argentinian player Enzo Fernández. While in a recent interview for AS his agent denied everything and stated  : 

Rumours about Enzo planning to leave Chelsea are NOT true”.

“Enzo has no intention of leaving. The leaders were very clear with this project”. “

When the pieces of team fit together well, Chelsea will move forward”

After a spectacular free kick the Argentinian went on to celebrate with Chelsea fans and removing his shirt. This was no more than a signal to all rumours that he is happy and will be staying on Chelsea for some time.

Pochettino's reaction after Chelsea Winning 3-1 over Aston Villa 

General Manager Pochettino has been criticized rapidly over the past weeks regarding his teams low performance. Reports have been saying that he is on constant pressure by the owner and board of directors but his recent statements and energy let us think that nothing is actually cracked on the background.

“Tonight we were united. We fight for each other. We fight for our fans. We fight for the badge. We fight for the coaching staff. All together”.

“This was maybe the best performance of the season for us”.

Criticism has been going back end forth on coach  Pochettino's expensive selections and £600M spending on transfer windows. The season is far from over and hopes have gone high with this win over Aston Villa.

What comes next for Chelsea

In the FA Cup fifth round, Chelsea will now play Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, February 28. The game starts at 6:00 p.m. 
The last game of the weekend will see Chelsea return to Premier League action when we visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in London on Monday, February 12 at 8:00 p.m.

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img via : REUTERS