That’s how you announce yourself on the big stage! Leeds United’s young forward Mateo Joseph scored his first two competitive goals in the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. That’s how big players are made. Even bigger players are made when they learn how to lose. And that’s another lesson young Joseph had to learn – and Chelsea’s hero Conor Gallagher scored a late winner to undo Joseph’s efforts and send the Blues into the FA Cup quarter-finals after a 3-2 win over the Yorkshire club.Joseph scored the first goal of the game and then scored another to make it 2-2 after Nicolas Jackson and Mikhaylo Mudrik had given the Blues the lead. But Gallagher’s late intervention taught the youngster a valuable lesson in football: you can’t do it all by yourself.Ethan Ampadu wants you to remember the name: Mateo Joseph Fernández-Regatillo.#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/zQzAC0YaXT— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 28, 2024 Joseph, a distant relative of former Liverpool and England striker Emile Heskey, was born in Spain to a Spanish mother and an Antiguan-English father but is building his career in England, where he’s already been made an Under-20 international. He was once a target for Barcelona, but the Blaugrana found the financial demands of their city rivals Espanyol too high. That’s where Leeds swooped in and apparently made the right decision. The 20-year-old starled joined Leeds’ academy in January 2022 and was quickly inducted into the first team by then-manager Jesse Marsch.
The game started with Leeds taking an early lead in the 8th minute. Jaidon Anthony provided a precise pass to Mateo Joseph inside the box, and the forward calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner to give the Championship club an unlikely advantage. Chelsea “must” play from behind – and they paid for their stubbornness, giving the ball away far too easily in a dangerous area.Mateo Joseph (20) scores the opening goal for Leeds against Chelsea! 🤯🔥pic.twitter.com/1Y3yqxMxdZ— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) February 28, 2024 Mauricio Pochettino’s team responded swiftly, equalizing in the 15th minute through Nicolas Jackson. Moises Caicedo delivered a well-weighted pass inside the box, allowing Jackson to finish with a precise effort into the bottom right corner past Illan Meslier, levelling the score at 1-1.
The hosts then turned the game around in the 37th minute, with Mykhailo Mudryk finding the back of the net. Raheem Sterling provided the Ukrainian big-money signing with a nice pass inside the box, and the midfielder finished with a precise effort into the bottom left corner, giving Chelsea a 2-1 lead.
Leeds knew their opponents are shaky, even when ahead. Daniel Farke’s players kept playing their game and got their reward just before the hour mark. They fought back and managed to equalize in the 59th minute. Again, Anthony swung the ball deep into the box, finding Joseph unmarked, and the forward’s close-range header flew past Robert Sanchez into the bottom left corner. Two a piece!The pass from Enzo Fernandez the turn and finish from Connor Gallagher.This goal is a thing of beauty 😍pic.twitter.com/t7Z5wM2SuM— 𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 (@badboy_jerry) February 28, 2024 Just as the game was heading for the dreaded extra time, Gallagher popped up with a winner to send Poch’s boys into the quarter-finals and set up a home clash with Leicester City.FA CUP – ROUND 5Tuesday Bournemouth – Leicester 0-1 (0-0) AET/Fatawu 106/Blackburn – Newcastle 1-1 (0-0) Penalties 3-4/Szmodics 79 – Gordon 71/Luton – Man.City 2-6 (1-3)/Clark 45, 52 – Haaland 3, 18, 40, 55, 58, Kovacic 72/Wednesday Chelsea – Leeds 3-2 (1-1)/Jackson 15, Mudryk 37, Gallagher 90 – Joseph 8, 59/Wolverhampton – Brighton 1-0 (1-0)/Lemina 2/Nott.Forest – Man.Utd. 0-1 (0-0)/Casemiro 89/Liverpool – Southampton 2-0 (1-0)/Koumas 44, Danns 73/***odds are subject to change