Chelsea were unable to tonight secure their place in the 5th Round of the FA Cup.
The Blues will at least be in the hat for the next round, however they will need to get there via a replay after drawing 0-0 tonight with Aston Villa.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side had a number of chances, particularly in the first half, to score the goal that would’ve been enough to separate the two sides.
The Argentine was forced to think on his feet before the game even got underway when it appeared obvious that Levi Colwill was going to be unable to take his place in the starting eleven.
He was replaced by Alfie Gilchrist, who was not given much time to prepare for just his second start for the club.
The 20-year-old has established himself as a bit of a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge already, with him clearly being one of those who understands what it means to play for Chelsea.
In the 65 minutes Gilchrist played, he certainly didn’t look out of place in the first team back four, while he also showed the character to step into midfield on a frequent basis.
Gilchrist impresses for Chelsea
He was replaced by Ben Chilwell, who was fresh off the back of a brilliant display on his first start back from injury earlier this week.
Pochettino was keen to get an actual full-back on the pitch, as the Blues chased a goal in the latter stages of the game.
However, Gilchrist certainly made his mark during his performance, and the manager should have left Stamford Bridge today thinking that the academy graduate should be trusted with more minutes this season.
With injuries at the back becoming frequent this season, and the diagnosis not yet clear on Colwill’s issue, the versatile youngster could see more opportunities coming his way.
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