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Ross Barkley sent Chelsea into the FA Cup semi-finals after a deserved 1-0 win at Leicester.<\/p>\nRoss Barkley sent Chelsea into the FA Cup semi-finals after a deserved 1-0 win at Leicester.<\/p>\n
The midfielder came off the bench to keep the Blues\u2019 hopes of a ninth FA Cup triumph alive.<\/p>\n
Barkley maintained his cup form for Chelsea, having netted in previous rounds against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.<\/p>\n
Leicester lost their first-half threat and their dreams of a maiden FA Cup triumph were ended for another year.<\/p>\n
Brendan Rodgers\u2019 men, third in the Premier League but just a point above Chelsea, can console themselves with a fight for Champions League qualification, but they will also be looking over their shoulders at in-form Wolves, who are now just three points behind them in fifth.<\/p>\n
They are yet to win after the restart and cannot afford to let a promising season end in disappointment.<\/p>\n
The Foxes tried to take control early and Harvey Barnes attempted to bulldoze his way through before goalkeeper Willy Caballero palmed away the winger\u2019s dangerous low cross.<\/p>\n
The bright and industrious Barnes was a focal point in the opening exchanges as the Foxes found space on the flanks to stretch the visitors.<\/p>\n
Wilfred Ndidi glanced a header straight at Caballero and the goalkeeper then turned the midfielder\u2019s low effort wide after 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
Jonny Evans just failed to get a decisive touch on Ben Chilwell\u2019s free-kick and the Foxes kept finding pockets of space in the Chelsea back-line.<\/p>\n
But they relied on Kasper Schmeichel to keep them level after half an hour when he produced a splendid save to thwart Christian Pulisic.<\/p>\n
Leicester were opened up by Mason Mount\u2019s cute pass but Schmeichel turned Pulisic\u2019s fierce drive over the crossbar.<\/p>\n
A minute later Barnes slashed wide and Jamie Vardy scuffed across goal as Leicester finished the first half strongly.<\/p>\n
Blues boss Frank Lampard had seen enough and replaced Mount, Reece James and Billy Gilmour with Barkley, Mateo Kovacic and Cesar Azpilicueta at the break.<\/p>\n
The switches worked as Chelsea found more rhythm and threat, with Tammy Abraham firing past Schmeichel, although the England striker had already been flagged offside.<\/p>\n
Sloppy Leicester struggled to rediscover their momentum with Vardy increasingly isolated, and the visitors made their move after 63 minutes.<\/p>\n
The danger had been building and when Willian swapped passes with Azpilicueta he swung in a near-post cross and Barkley arrived ahead of Evans to steer in.<\/p>\n
The midfielder, who scored in the previous round\u2019s 2-0 win over Liverpool, shot straight at Schmeichel shortly afterwards with Leicester ragged.<\/p>\n
Chelsea had seized the advantage and without the ingenuity and vision of James Maddison, out with a knock, the hosts never looked like recovering.<\/p>\n
Chilwell drilled at Caballero with 10 minutes left and Caglar Soyuncu\u2019s header hit Azpilicueta and bounced over but time ran out for the Foxes.<\/p>\n
Schmeichel even denied Chelsea a second in the final minute of normal time when he turned Barkley\u2019s drive over.<\/p>\n