Chelsea will play Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals after Pedro’s extra-time header gave the Blues victory at Leicester City on Sunday.
Antonio Conte’s side dug deep after the midweek Champions League defeat in Barcelona to keep their hopes of silverware alive as they survived an attacking assault from The Foxes.
Alvaro Morata took Willian’s pass in his stride to beat Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel in composed fashion to give Chelsea the advantage just before half-time.
But Jamie Vardy made amends for a poor headed miss when he pounced in a goalmouth scramble for a 76th-minute equaliser.
The decisive moment came just before the interval in extra time when Chelsea substitute Pedro beat the onrushing Schmeichel to N’Golo Kante’s cross and headed in the winner.
Chelsea will play the Saints – who reached the last four by beating Wigan earlier on Sunday – on either April 21 or 22 at Wembley.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who won their respective quarter-finals on Saturday, will contest the other tie.
Spurs made the semi-finals for a second successive season with victory at Swansea on Saturday, while 12-time cup winners United beat Brighton.
Wigan’s defeat by Southampton means it is an all-Premier League line-up. United are second, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea fifth and Southampton 18th.
Tottenham, eight-time winners, last lifted the cup in 1991, while United’s most recent triumph was under Louis van Gaal two seasons ago.
United were drawn at ‘home’ in their semi-final, and so Spurs will be in the visitors’ dressing room at Wembley – where they are playing their home games in the Premier League this season while White Hart Lane is rebuilt.
Last year’s runners-up Chelsea have won the trophy seven times, most recently in 2012, while Southampton – in the last four for the first time since 2003 – lifted it for the only time in 1976.
