Mykhailo Mudryk and Djordje Petrovic emerged as the heroes for Chelsea, propelling the team to the Carabao Cup semi-finals in a match filled with late drama at the Bridge.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Mudryk equalized Callum Wilson’s opener, forcing the tie into penalties. Kieran Trippier’s miss had already given Chelsea an advantage, and Petrovic’s exceptional save against Matt Ritchie secured the victory, with Chelsea flawlessly converting all their penalties.
The outcome was well-deserved for Chelsea, dominating the game despite falling behind when Wilson capitalized on defensive errors to put Newcastle ahead in the 16th minute. Before the break, Conor Gallagher had hit the crossbar, and Raheem Sterling had two close chances to level the score.
The trend continued in the second half, with Nicolas Jackson missing a shot and Sterling testing Martin Dubravka with a strong attempt.
Debutant Christopher Nkunku came on, but it was another substitute, Mudryk, who sent the match to penalties in stoppage time. Mudryk capitalized on a Kieran Trippier mistake with composure and precision.
As Mudryk converted the fourth spot-kick for Chelsea, Ritchie needed to score, but Petrovic, making his third Chelsea appearance, had different plans.
Chelsea will discover their semi-final opponents after the Liverpool vs. West Ham match tomorrow evening. Middlesbrough and Fulham also advanced tonight.