Romelu Lukaku scores his 12th goal of the season as Chelsea beat Championship side Middlesbrough to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
Middlesbrough had knocked out Manchester United and Tottenham on their way to the quarter-finals but their hopes of claiming another Premier League victim were dealt an early blow when Lukaku tapped in from Mason Mount’s cross after a quick Chelsea counter.
Hakim Ziyech made it 2-0 midway through the first half with a superb dipping effort from the edge of the box before Lukaku was denied a second when Anfernee Dijksteel cleared off the line.
Middlesbrough showed plenty of endeavour in the second half as they looked to mount an unlikely comeback, with Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun shooting wide after a promising counter, while Duncan Watmore also sent an effort over the bar from a good position.
However, Chelsea could have grabbed a late third when substitute Timo Werner met a free-kick but Middlesbrough goalkeeper Joe Lumley did well to palm away.
Chelsea will find out who they will play in the semi-finals, which will be played at Wembley on 16 and 17 April, when the draw is made before Sunday’s quarter-final between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool (18:00 GMT).
More to follow.
Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection
Middlesbrough
Starting XI
Avg
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Squad number1Player nameLumley
Average rating5.03
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Squad number2Player nameDijksteel
Average rating5.43
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Squad number6Player nameFry
Average rating4.96
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Squad number17Player nameMcNair
Average rating4.92
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Squad number35Player nameJones
Average rating5.37
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Squad number25Player nameCrooks
Average rating5.24
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Squad number16Player nameHowson
Average rating5.11
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Squad number7Player nameTavernier
Average rating5.53
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Squad number3Player nameTaylor
Average rating4.81
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Squad number47Player nameBalogun
Average rating5.11
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Squad number26Player nameConnolly
Average rating4.86
Substitutes
Avg
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Squad number14Player namePeltier
Average rating5.16
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Squad number18Player nameWatmore
Average rating5.52
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Squad number22Player nameBamba
Average rating5.72
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Squad number27Player nameBola
Average rating5.24
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Squad number37Player nameCoburn
Average rating6.03
Chelsea
Starting XI
Avg
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Squad number16Player nameMendy
Average rating7.49
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Squad number28Player nameAzpilicueta
Average rating7.40
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Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
Average rating8.09
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Squad number2Player nameRüdiger
Average rating7.66
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Squad number31Player nameSarr
Average rating6.92
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Squad number8Player nameKovacic
Average rating7.25
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Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek
Average rating7.17
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Squad number22Player nameZiyech
Average rating8.01
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Squad number19Player nameMount
Average rating8.36
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Squad number10Player namePulisic
Average rating7.45
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Squad number9Player nameLukaku
Average rating7.20
Substitutes
Avg
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Squad number7Player nameKanté
Average rating7.28
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Squad number11Player nameWerner
Average rating5.99
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Squad number23Player nameKenedy
Average rating6.11
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Squad number68Player nameVale
Average rating6.20
Line-ups
Middlesbrough
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Lumley
- 2Dijksteel
- 6FrySubstituted forBambaat 45’minutes
- 17McNairSubstituted forPeltierat 53’minutesBooked at 89mins
- 35Jones
- 25Crooks
- 16HowsonBooked at 87mins
- 7Tavernier
- 3TaylorSubstituted forBolaat 58’minutes
- 47BalogunSubstituted forCoburnat 74’minutes
- 26ConnollySubstituted forWatmoreat 58’minutes
Substitutes
- 4Hall
- 13Olusanya
- 14Peltier
- 18Watmore
- 22Bamba
- 27Bola
- 28Daniels
- 37Coburn
- 50Boyd-Munce
Chelsea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 16Mendy
- 28Azpilicueta
- 6Thiago Silva
- 2Rüdiger
- 31Sarr
- 8KovacicSubstituted forKantéat 69’minutes
- 12Loftus-Cheek
- 22ZiyechSubstituted forKenedyat 81’minutes
- 19Mount
- 10PulisicSubstituted forWernerat 68’minutes
- 9LukakuSubstituted forValeat 84’minutes
Substitutes
- 3Alonso
- 7Kanté
- 11Werner
- 13Bettinelli
- 14Chalobah
- 18Barkley
- 23Kenedy
- 29Havertz
- 68Vale
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 31,422
Live Text
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Match ends, Middlesbrough 0, Chelsea 2.
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Second Half ends, Middlesbrough 0, Chelsea 2.
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Harvey Vale (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Sol Bamba (Middlesbrough).
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Offside, Chelsea. César Azpilicueta tries a through ball, but Harvey Vale is caught offside.
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Kenedy (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Lee Peltier (Middlesbrough).
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Lee Peltier (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Mason Mount (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Lee Peltier (Middlesbrough).
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Jonny Howson (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Jonny Howson (Middlesbrough).
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Substitution, Chelsea. Harvey Vale replaces Romelu Lukaku.
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Foul by Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea).
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Duncan Watmore (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by N’Golo Kanté.
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Substitution, Chelsea. Kenedy replaces Hakim Ziyech.
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Attempt blocked. Timo Werner (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.