Arsenal loanee Balogun and Middlesbrough knocked out of FA Cup after 2-0 defeat to Chelsea

Published: March 19, 2022

Championship outfit Middlesbrough have been knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday evening.

Middlesbrough coach Chris Wilder named an unchanged side from the one that defeated Birmingham City in their last Championship game, meaning there was a start for Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun.

Chelsea broke the deadlock in the 15th minute when a counterattacking move ended with Romelu Lukaku tapping in a pinpoint cross from Mason Mount.

The home team tried to stage a comeback and had a chance to level matters in the 26th minute but Balogun could not steer his header on target.

The miss would prove costly for Boro when Hakim Ziyech, on his birthday, found the bottom corner after he was picked out by Mount.

Four minutes into the second half, Balogun had another chance to get his name on the scoresheet but bent a shot off target, before making way for Josh Coburn in the 74th minute.

The Anglo-American-Nigerian striker helped Boro see off Premier League opposition Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the earlier rounds of the Emirates FA Cup.

Chelsea are going to Wembley but they don't know who they will face next in the semifinals.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : chelseafc.com

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