Substitute Ki sung-Yueng drove in an extra-time winner to take the Premier League`s bottom club Sunderland into the League Cup semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday.
|Last Updated: Dec 18, 2013, 08:40 AM IST|Source: Reuters
London: Substitute Ki sung-Yueng drove in an extra-time winner to take the Premier League`s bottom club Sunderland into the League Cup semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday.
Ki smashed home in the 118th minute after being teed up by Fabio Borini, who had come off the bench to force extra time with an 88th-minute equaliser.
In the night`s other quarter-final, Edin Dzeko scored twice as free-scoring Manchester City booked their place in the semi-finals with a 3-1 win at second-tier Leicester City.
Chelsea, third in the Premier League, looked on course to reach the last four after taking the lead when goalline technology adjudged that a combination of Frank Lampard and Sunderland`s Lee Cattermole had bundled a cross over the line.
But they were pegged back two minutes from time when on-loan Borini steered an expert finish past two Chelsea defenders on the line from a tight angle.
The hosts then laid siege to the Chelsea goal and were rewarded two minutes from time when Ki smashed home a low drive to send the home crowd wild.
Chelsea won the competition twice in Jose Mourinho`s first spell at the club, but with a busy Christmas schedule looming in the Premier League, they made eight changes from their weekend team.
The fringe players, however, did little to push their cases and found themselves chasing possession for much of the opening 45 minutes before taking the lead a minute into the second half.
A low cross from Azpilicueta picked out Lampard and Cattermole sliding in at the far post. The ball eventually bobbled over the line before goalkeeper Vito Mannone clawed it clear.
Referee Anthony Taylor pointed to his watch to signal the goal had been awarded by the Hawk-Eye technology installed at the ground.
The match looked to be heading towards a routine victory for Chelsea before it was brought to life in the 88th minute following the introduction of Borini.
The ball bounced free to the Italian, on loan from Liverpool, and he steered it accurately into the net from a tight angle.
Borini almost won it but his effort was expertly blocked by Gary Cahill and he perhaps should have done better at the start of extra time when he failed to make proper contact with a deep cross, unmarked at the far post.
Yet Sunderland were not to be denied and after Chelsea`s stand-in keeper Mark Schwarzer had produced a superb save to turn over a header from Ki, the South Korean latched on to a pass from Borini, cut inside and drove the ball low into the net.
"This gives us momentum going into Saturday (against Norwich) and keeps the season alive," Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole told Sky Sports.
"The priority is always the league. We played extra time but this win gives us some belief."
Dzeko made his case for a more regular starting spot in City`s star-studded line-up with goals either side of halftime after Aleksandar Kolarov had given the visitors an early lead.
Lloyd Dyer grabbed a consolation for Leicester.
"We had a very good first half, and then we had the possession and dominated the game until they scored. It is an important competition, it is important to win every game you play in and to get to the final at Wembley would be wonderful for the supporters," Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini said.
"I think the Capital One Cup is different to normal because we could have Tottenham and Manchester United also in the semi-final so that would be beautiful for the fans."
Stoke City host Manchester United and managerless Tottenham Hotspur take on West Ham United in the last two quarter-finals on Wednesday.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.