$132m star scores outrageous strike as Blues ease pressure on embattled boss
Chelsea eased the spotlight on manager Mauricio Pochettino with a dominant 3-1 win at Aston Villa to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Thursday (AEDT).
Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez struck for the Blues at Villa Park to banish memories of a 4-2 home defeat to Wolves on Sunday.
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Chelsea were booed off by a disgruntled home support at the weekend as Wolves’ rout followed a 4-1 thrashing at Liverpool a week ago.
With Pochettino’s men languishing in 11th in the Premier League, an early FA Cup exit would have further ramped up the pressure on the Argentine.
Pochettino insisted on Tuesday he would not lose his hair over the stress of the job and made some bold calls with his team selection.
Thiago Silva was dropped to the bench just hours after his wife apologised for a social media outburst in which she called for “change” at the club.
Raheem Sterling was also left out on a night when a number of Chelsea’s expensive young guns stood up to be counted.
But it was one of the club’s academy graduates who got the ball rolling. Gallagher smashed home from close range after the ball broke his way from Jackson’s purposeful burst down the left.
Jackson was making his first start since returning from Senegal’s disappointment at the Africa Cup of Nations.
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