Chelsea recent form has been a kind of flip-flop where they won some matches while lost others. FA cup quarterfinal was the match they had always been looking to win, but it was never easy coz they were clashing with none other than Manchester United. The match began with a good note for United where they managed to secure a comprehensive lead right in the beginning of the game and everyone then thought it is all over for Chelsea at FA cup, but surprisingly, they fought back and leveled the initial lead in the last moments of the game forcing a replay of the quarterfinal. There have been few cases in the past where a team successfully chased a two goals’ lead, but Chelsea proved all predictions wrong and became the savior by securing a draw. Rooney, who was rested in the last Madrid game, secured an early lead for United along with Javier Hernandez; perhaps the score was 2-0 just after 11 minutes of the game which shows how dominant they would have been during rest of the game. But, second half was completely belonged to Eden Hazard and Ramires who equalized the lead in the 59th and 66th minutes despite being under pressure.
Sunday draw between two English teams calls for another game between the two and the winner will clash with Manchester City next month. Second semifinal will be played between Wigan and winner of another replay match between Blackburn and Millwall. Chelsea mentioned about the match on its website where they said, “We have not lost a game in this competition in open play since this quarter-final stage five years ago, and thanks to second-half goals from Eden Hazard and Ramires, we live to fight another day in 2013 after a terrible start away to the Premier League leaders.
“United went two up inside 10 minutes, Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney putting them in control, and only rarely in a tame first half did Chelsea threaten to make it a contest.”
So, Stamford Bridge club would obviously like to finish among top four in the EPL as well, as promised by Benitez few weeks earlier. During the match, Benitez decision for not taking any substitute looked strange initially, but very soon; John Mikel Obi and Hazard entered into the field as Lampard and Moses replacement. Overall, it was a perfect night for more than 75000 spectators who enjoyed every second of the match.