Chelsea assistant boss Gianfranco Zola hopes Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goal against Sheffield Wednesday will not be his last for the club.
Hudson-Odoi scored on what could be his final Chelsea appearance and Willian netted twice as the FA Cup holders advanced with a 3-0 fourth-round win over the Championship Owls at Stamford Bridge.
Hudson-Odoi started despite submitting a transfer request ahead of Thursday’s transfer deadline and the 18-year-old winger netted Chelsea’s second after 64 minutes.
We can do as much as we can do. From our point of view he has a lot of strong players next to him. But we still find the space for him to play.
"But these are just decisions that don't belong to me. There's certainly good understanding between the staff and the club. I can't say more than that.'
Did he look like he didn’t want to play? Yesterday in training he scored a fantastic goal.”
Until Hudson-Odoi scored, an official sitting 14 miles away in Stockley Park had been the most influential person on the contest, despite the fact Gonzalo Higuain was making his Chelsea debut.
When Joey Pelupessy surged through to try to meet Steven Fletcher’s pass, Ethan Ampadu slid in and won the ball before being kicked by the Wednesday midfielder. Referee Andre Marriner’s award of a penalty was swiftly overturned by VAR.
Play restarted with a dropped ball, as per the rules, which Wednesday did not contest. Soon they had conceded a spot-kick.
Sam Hutchinson, a graduate of the Blues Academy, tripped Cesar Azpilicueta. Marriner’s decision was reviewed, but there was no doubt.
Willian appeared to offer the spot-kick to Higuain, who declined, before the Brazilian sent goalkeeper Keiren Westwood the wrong way for his 50th Chelsea goal.
Owls caretaker boss Steve Agnew said: “With VAR, it was obviously the correct decision but I thought we should have had a corner as a result so that seemed a strange decision. But we’re all a bit wiser now.
“We’re obviously disappointed but the players gave everything in terms of effort and organisation.”
If he's to win it this time he'll have to overcome stern competition, with Arsenal's David Raya on the shortlist twice.
West Ham's Alphonse Areola, Leicester's Mads Hermansen and Brighton's Bart Verbruggen complete the nominees.
You can vote for Ederson by clicking here before the deadline passes at 12:00 (UK) on Monday 31 March.
The winner will then be announced at 14:00 (UK) on Friday 4 April.
This news follows Omar Marmoush's nomination for Goal of the Month with his dipping strike from outside the box against Brighton.
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