Chelsea have been handed a fiery FA Cup semi-final showdown against Leeds United at Wembley after a dramatic Sunday of cup action.
The Blues, who cruised into the last four with a comfortable 7-0 victory over League One strugglers Port Vale on Saturday, will now face a much tougher test against the Championship side. Leeds booked their place in the semi-finals by edging past West Ham United in a tense penalty shootout, despite Axel Disasi’s late equaliser that looked to have forced extra-time drama.
Joe Cole, reacting live on TNT Sports as the draw was made, didn’t hold back. “Ooh, that is feisty… 1970,” he said, instantly referencing the historic and often bitter rivalry between the two clubs that peaked in the 1970 FA Cup final.
The comment landed like a bombshell, perfectly capturing the intensity Chelsea can expect. This season alone, Chelsea failed to beat Leeds in the Premier League, drawing 2-2 at Stamford Bridge and suffering a 3-1 defeat in Yorkshire. Now, the two sides will collide again on the grand stage of Wembley on the weekend of 25-26 April.
Chelsea’s route to the semi-finals has been relatively kind so far — they have beaten three Championship sides, including Charlton, Hull City, and a hard-fought extra-time win over Wrexham. Their 7-0 thrashing of Port Vale featured seven different goalscorers: Jorrel Hato, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer, an own goal, Estevao, Tosin, Andrey Santos, and Alejandro Garnacho.
Meanwhile, Manchester City powered into the semi-finals with a 4-0 demolition of Liverpool, inspired by Erling Haaland. In the biggest shock of the round, Southampton stunned Arsenal 2-1 on the south coast, ending the Gunners’ quadruple dreams.
Chelsea now know they face a dangerous and motivated Leeds side at Wembley — a fixture dripping with history and physicality. As Joe Cole bluntly reminded everyone, this one is going to be feisty.