Chelsea have managed to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup, defeating Peterborough 4-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Willian, Michy Batshuayi's goal and Pedro's brace helped Chelsea emerge victorious while it was not rosy for Liverpool, who were held by Plymouth in a goalless draw. The Reds will now have to face Plymouth in the FA Cup replay.
The Blues have been the most impressive side in the Premier League as they top the table. They provided rest to their key players including Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante, who were on the bench.
Despite holding back their big names from the first whistle, Chelsea did not have much trouble in defeating Peterborough, who were completely outplayed in the fixture. The Blues looked superb in all departments of the game, and were clinical with Chelsea taking 2-0 lead in the first 45 minutes.
Chelsea continued that impressive showing in the second half as Willian scored their third goal, putting an end to Peterborough's chance of a fairytale comeback, if any. Though Peterborough's Tom Nichols scored a consolation in the 70th minute, Pedro's second goal five minutes later was the final goal of the match.
However, the game might not have been memorable for Chelsea star John Terry, who was shown a straight red for foul on Lee Angol. It was Terry's first start since October.
In another FA Cup game involving Liverpool and Plymouth, the latter's defence were simply brilliant as they did not allow the home team players easy chances at goal.
With Plymouth defending in numbers, Liverpool could not shine in the tie, and it was frustrating for the Reds. The first half ended 0-0, and Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp might have been disappointed with their players failing to break the deadlock.
Liverpool were in desperate need to get their ball rolling in the second 45 minutes. The game opened in the second half as Plymouth players were also involved in some decent offensive moves.
Klopp, after seeing his players not being effective at the offensive end, decided to bring on experienced striker Daniel Sturridge. The forward nearly made an immediate impression as his first shot at goal went agonisingly wide. The German manager, with 15 minutes left on the clock for the game to end, brought his big guns, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino to break the deadlock.
With Liverpool's in-form duo on the pitch, the home team raised their tempo to apply further pressure on Plymouth defenders, but they failed to score, leading to a frustrating draw. Liverpool need to play better football in the replay to reach next round of the competition.
