SUMMARY
- Chelsea lost 1-0 against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal.
- Chelsea defender Thiago Silva was spotted crying after the loss.
In what has been a disastrous 2023-24 season, Chelsea missed out on their chance to win a trophy yet again after their FA Cup semifinal defeat to Manchester City. Despite a successful transfer window with several big-money signings at the beginning of this season and the previous one, Chelsea’s performances have been rather poor of late.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea are currently ninth in the Premier League table and haven’t had a single minute of European soccer this season. Chelsea did come close to winning the EFL Cup earlier this season but were defeated by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. The Blues had the chance to reach another cup final this season and were also arguably the better side during their FA Cup semifinal tie against Manchester City.
Chelsea’s missed chances against Manchester City yesterday. I’m still fuming man 😤
A coach is as good as his players. Majority of these players doesn’t deserve to be at Chelsea next season. pic.twitter.com/UvMmOHRmnx
— 𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 (@badboy_jerry) April 21, 2024
Chelsea started the game at an advantage as Manchester City headed into the FA Cup semifinal in a bad state. Guardiola’s side had hardly recovered from their exhausting UCL quarterfinal defeat against Real Madrid last Tuesday and they had just three days to get ready for the FA Cup tie. The tired legs of the City players had a visible impact on the game as Chelsea got several chances in the game but failed to capitalize on them.
Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson got the biggest chance of the game in the first half when he was left one-on-one with City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega but failed to score. Without Erling Haaland up front, City also struggled to break the deadlock. In the end, City got the decisive goal in the 84th minute with Bernardo Silva scoring the winner after some wonderful interplay between Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
🔵💔 Thiago Silva was crying after the game at Wembley… as it could have been his last final in Europe.
Thiago and Chelsea will discuss future soon, he could leave the club at the end of the season — as current deal expires in June. pic.twitter.com/zPIE9zEezS
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 20, 2024
It was a crushing defeat for Pochettino’s side, as veteran Chelsea defender Thiago Silva was spotted crying after the game. Silva, who will turn 40 this September, might reportedly leave the club this season. The Brazilian defender’s current contract at the club expires at the end of this season and he’s yet to sign an extension. If the reports stand to be true, it has been a heartbreaking final season for Thiago Silva who would have liked to leave Europe on a winning note.
Noni Madueke’s viral moment with Manchester City star after FA Cup exit draws criticism from fans
After Chelsea’s FA Cup defeat against Manchester City, while the cameras panned on a teary-eyed Thiago Silva, Chelsea forward Noni Madueke’s visuals have managed to leave fans enraged. Madueke, who arrived at Chelsea in January 2023, was one of the several wasteful Chelsea stars who failed to capitalize on their chances against Manchester City.
Thiago Silva in tears after the game whilst Madueke is dying of laughter with Grealish 😭😭
pic.twitter.com/kIbehtFoUN— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) April 20, 2024
Following the referee’s final whistle, Noni Madueke was caught laughing and joking with Manchester City forward Jack Grealish. Madueke’s reaction, after his lackluster performance and his side’s tough defeat hasn’t gone down well with the Chelsea fans at all.
Several fans were left incensed with Madueke’s reaction and criticized the English star. Some fans even rebuked the Chelsea management for signing players like Madueke and went on to the extent of claiming that Chelsea’s struggles are due to the lack of mentality from players like Madueke. While the criticism has been a bit harsher than usual, Madueke is yet to respond to the incident.
Mauricio Pochettino left disappointed after not getting a penalty against Manchester City
A Chelsea-Manchester City FA Cup semifinal tie always manages to bring out the best of players and makes the job of the referees even more difficult. Similarly, Chelsea’s FA Cup semifinal clash against Manchester City had plenty of drama, including a controversial penalty call that wasn’t given to Mauricio Pochettino’s side by referee Michael Oliver.
In the 55th minute, Cole Palmer’s free-kick attempt at the goal appeared to strike Jack Grealish’s outstretched arm in the City wall. Much to Pochettino and his players’ disbelief, Michael Oliver refused to give Chelsea a penalty and instead awarded them with a corner. Oliver even consulted the VAR but ultimately, the decision went in City’s favor.
Grealish handball inside the penalty area and the ball went out for a corner. That should have been a stonewall penalty for Chelsea.
The referees have reviewed the handball, said it wasn’t a penalty, and gave it as a City goal kick.pic.twitter.com/12TeO26FoQ
— ☈ッ (@TheFergusonWay) April 20, 2024
Speaking after the match, Pochettino said, “I only said to him (Oliver), “Why not go and check the penalty on the TV?”. While Pochettino stated that he feels that Chelsea should have got a penalty, he refused to further elaborate on the incident.
