Chelsea star claims Carabao Cup penalty shootout win can "kickstart" season
Armando Broja has claimed Chelsea’s dramatic Carabao Cup win over Newcastle can “kickstart” their stuttering season. And the Albanian striker said the comeback and the post-match celebrations showed the spirit at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino.
Mykhailo Mudryk came off the bench to score a late equaliser before the Blues won on penalties with Serbian keeper Djorde Petrovic the hero. The Met Police are now seeking to identify the fan who confronted visiting keeper Martin Dubravka after the Chelsea goal.
The Blues are down in 10th place after only six victories but can quickly climb the Premier League tables with winnable games against Wolves, Crystal Palace and Luton before the turn of the year. And Broja said: “We have had a few unfortunate results but we are trying to turn it around, kickstart the season and push on forward. I feel we have been sticking together and dig in deep.
“We have said many times at the club, we are a new team, new staff and everyone is behind the manager. We are all trying to work together and gel together. It is not going to be easy straight away. We have got a whole bunch of new players and we have got to get that rhythm and get that bond together. It is not going to be easy and it is not going to happen overnight.
"People have to understand that. Games like these show our spirit and the team bond and we stuck together and dug deep and got the result at the end of the game which is the most important thing. We have been playing some really good football. So hopefully we can keep going forward and this result will bring us more positive results.”
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Armando Broja celebrates with his teammates (Getty)Chelsea missed out on football but winning the League Cup for the sixth time - and the first time since under Jose Mourinho in 2015 - will book a ticket to the Europa Conference League.“Obviously we want to keep pushing for the league which is the most important thing,” Broja added. “This is a chance to win a trophy and we want to win a trophy. That is what Chelsea is all about. It is a good opportunity for us now that we are in the semi-finals.”
Broja, who was ready to take the fifth kick in the shootout after coming on as a first-half sub, is returning to fitness after rupturing his ACL last December. “There is still a lot more from me to come,” said the Slough-born striker. “I have got a long way to go.”
Christopher Nkunku scored in the shootout on his injury-delayed Chelsea debut and Pochettino also appealed for the £52m striker to be given time to adapt to the English game. “The expectation is to see the best Nkunku,” said the Argentine. “The problem is we need time for him to perform in the way that we expect. One thing is to be available, another is to perform in the way that we expect.”
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