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29' Azpilicueta is full of running still, as is Moses. How a lead can give energy to tired legs, and tired minds, eh?
25' LOVELY BALL forward by Chalobah - how he has not started before for Chelsea, I can not fathom - but Fabregas has gone just a mite early, and is correctly adjudged offside
24' (ET 2) Moses is having fun against Chillwell here, and he skips past the Leicester left back to play the ball into the box. The move ends when Fabregas snatches at a shot and it ends up in Row Z
23' (ET 2) Training ground stuff from Chelsea's midfield here; but the ball is not getting into the box just yet
22' (ET 2) As if on cue, Luiz is dispossessed by Vardy. But the Englishman did so using unfair means deemed the man with the whistle
21' (ET 2) It'll take something miraculous from Leicester, or something disastrous from Chelsea to spark something here.
18' Danny Drinkwater stands over the free kick. The delivery is spectacularly bad.
17' (ET 2) Chelsea knocking the ball about - thats all they need to do. Vardy - as ever- though is full of running and wins a freekick off of Luiz. Who gets booked
Peep! We're off
Peep Peep! First half of extra time is done and dusted with. Along with the match, arguably
13' This game is dead now. Everybody has the lets-just-get-this-over-with body language about them
12' (ET 1) Moses turns on the pace (quite the feat considering the time) and does well to get to the byline. But the pass in is useless
10' (ET 1) Leicester are chasing shadows here.
97' Leicester are being toyed with here. Hazard's twinkle-toes his way across the midfield, but the move peters out
95' (ET 1) Matic has a shot that he nearly places into the corner. Zieler does well to save
From a corner that created havoc, the ball falls to Fabregas who absolutely larrumps it into the net. This is brilliant stuff from Chelsea. It could become very very bad for Leicester - their opponents don't seem to be in any mood to let up
WHAT A MOVE from Chelsea. Hazard and Costa combine, before Hazard back-heels a cute little ball that Fabregas runs on to and places into the corner. Beautiful stuff from all concerned!
Leicester are under the cosh here. The ten men will have hell to pay for another thirty minutes!
The Spaniard should have had a hattrick by now!!!
93' COSTA MISSES AGAIN!!! HITS IT INTO THE SIDE NETTING FROM CLOSE RANGE
92' This is going to take some effort for Leicester to come out with something. Vardy shows he isn't willing to quit as he charges down David Luiz
91' Moses screws a shot JUUUUST WIDE
90' SUBSTITUTION Gray sacrificed for Amartey.
89' RED CARD WASILESKI OFFF. THAT's HIS SECOND YELLOW. IT MIGHT VERY WELL HAVE BEEN A STRAIGHT RED. THE DEFENDER SMASHED HIS FOREARM INTO COSTA's FACE WHO FOR ONCE DIDN'T HAVE TO OVERREACT TO SHOW THE PAIN
88' SUBSTITUTION - AND EDEN HAZARD IS ON, finally. the impressive, but eventually ineffectual Pedro, out
87' OOOOOOOOOLUIZZZ!! That was close! A dipping, swerving freekick goes just over the bar
86' FOUL by Drinkwater - yellow! He had to do it you could say, Costa was bearing in on goal. DAvid Luiz stands over the ball
85' OH MY!!! Gray does exceptionally well to run into and play a square ball into the Chelsea box. Schlupp lets it run assuming Vardy is there. He isn't.
84' Vardy is such a useful asset to have in these situations. The ball is kicked out wildly from the Leicester box and Vardy harries his way into winning a throw
83' COSTAAAAAAAAA turns Wasilewski and Morgan in and out before screwing a shot that Zieler does well to keep out, the keeper saves from the rebound attempt by Costa as well. Chelsea turning it on!!
82' YELLOW for Matic - a stupid few seconds for the Serbian as he suffers a brain fade and kicks out at Gray, before taking him down.
81' COSTAAAAAlmost! His shot hits Zieler straight-on, but he was offside anyway
80' David Luiz is now faced with an attacker of an altogether different calibre. Vardy makes his life hell after the Brazilian lets a long ball bounce deep in his half, but powers his way out of trouble.
79' SUBSTITUTION for Chelsea - Nathaniel Chalobah is on for Batshuayi. The Englishman who's represented his country 97 times across various youth-levels makes his Chelsea debut. Long over-due that (may have something to do with noted youth-promoter Jose Mourinho)
78' Moses nearly burrows his way into the Leicester box, but Schlupp clears with the minimum of fuss.
77' finally a break in play as Fabregas is fouled - so the substitutions, Ulloa on for goal-scoring hero Okazaki; Vardy on for Musa
76' The tempo has just been taken up several notches. and Leicester are now moving the ball with supreme confidence
75' GUESS WHO'S COME ON NOW! Jamie Vardy almost nips in ahead of Begovic, but the big keeper clears!
74' WHAT A MISS!!! Leonardo Ulloa who has just come on glances a header toward Andy King who misses from just about a yard!!! Stupendous!!
73' CHANCE FOR MUSA!!!! The Nigerian is so very frighteningly quick!! He runs onto a ball through the heart of the defence but Begovic saves supremely well
72' It's all Chelsea now, as Conte's men put the Foxes under the cosh. They look so much better on the ball this half. Moses making himself a nuisance on the right, but from the clearance......
71' Costa has added an entirely new dimension to the Chelsea attack, and is creating all sorts of bother for Wasilewski and Morgan
69' COSTAAAAAAAA!!!! MISSES A SITTER!!! one on one with Zieler, the usually deadly hitman places it just wide!
67' ALMOOOOOOST from Batshuayi. Costa wins a header, and the Belgian blooters on just over the cross bar!
66' SUBSTITUTION - Diego Costa is on! Wasileski vs Costa will be FUN!
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It was a superb Cup game - END TO END up until the 89th minute when Wasilewski lost it with Diego Costa. He isn't the first to do that, and he isn't the first to regret it. Nor will he be the last. Fabregas finished it off with two clinical goals early in the first half of Extra time.
Costa's introduction really turned the momentum Chelsea's way, but Conte will be concerned about just how shaky his team looked on occasion (especially at the back). He's got a lot of things to address if he wants Chelsea contending for titles this season; but nothing catalyses change quite like winning football games. Hopefully Fabregas' goals can spur him on to shake off the rust that seems to have set on him last season - Chelsea play so much better when the little magician is on song.
Ranieri too will be disappointed in the way his team threw away a two-goal lead; and with his big Central defender for the red card, but can take away some positives from the game - not the least of which is Okazaki's return to goalscoring form. He may not admit this ever (even to himself), but he must breathe a sigh of relief that his already stretched squad can get some rest during the season.
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Thank you for reading through - despite the late hour! It's been an absolute pleasure
Anirudh Menon signing out!
Toodle-ooo