Forget the talk of Stamford Bridge being full of foreign fancy dans. Watching Chelsea yesterday was to think Chopper Harris had returned to direct training and give the team talk.

After three successive draws against Leicester, Gianluca Vialli had clearly decided the way to beat them was to match them for sheer competitiveness. By the time his players had muscled through, thanks to Gus Poyet's and George Weah's goals, the referee Graham Poll must have been close to a repetitive strain injury. Seven yellow cards and two reds were brandished.

"It was physical, but I think that's the way you like it in England," Vialli said. "We wanted to make sure if it was a battle we were going to win it and if it was a good football match we would win it as well."

A low-quality match that had simmered during the first half came to the boil in the 61st minute when Steve Walsh was sent off for elbowing Chris Sutton. The striker has got it in the neck often enough this season. This time he got it in the throat.

Walsh's sickening assault as the pair tussled on the edge of the area waiting for a Chelsea freekick earned him the 11th red card of his career. Wise's 11th, for a needless handball, followed at the death.

Walsh's actions were a measure of Leicester's frustration, not only at losing a cup tie for the first time this season but at the perceived injustice of the second goal. Sutton twice seemed to foul Phil Gilchrist, leaving him on the turf, before bursting down the right and crossing for Weah to score with a fine first-time shot.

"It was clear to everyone," said Leicester's manager Martin O'Neill. "I have no idea what Mr Poll was thinking about. It was at an important stage of the game and it had a massive effect."

O'Neill did not direct his ire only at Poll. The incessant, harsh references to the boring style of his injury-hit team has touched a raw nerve. Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger was described as "graceless". The Chelsea chairman Ken Bates got worse.

Bates wrote in the programme that Leicester would "pack their goal, play kick and rush, hope to snatch a breakaway goal and if all else fails, rely on penalties after extra time. Fair enough, it has paid off handsomely in the past with two Wembley appearances."

O'Neill described Bates as a "footballing cretin". "He's not got one fact right," he added. "We haven't got to Wembley once on penalties or extra-time. A few weeks ago here we murdered Chelsea (in a 1-1 draw)."

Chelsea rarely impressed, with the exception of Weah. It was from his cross that Poyet struck the bar with a header before the combination came good in the 25th minute. Weah did well to head back Wise's cross, and Poyet hit a spectacular left-foot volley that Pegguy Arphexad might have saved.

After Weah had coolly added the second, the substitute John Terry hit the post with a header. Matt Elliott's late goal, brilliantly taken after he twice outwitted Marcel Desailly, was little consolation.

CHELSEA: De Goey, Lambourde, Desailly, Hogh (Terry 45), Harley, Petrescu, Deschamps, Wise, Poyet, Weah, Sutton (Flo 70). Subs Not Used: Zola, Morris, Cudicini. Sent Off: Wise (90). Booked: Petrescu, Wise, Sutton. Goals: Poyet 35, Weah 48.

LEICESTER: Arphexad, Walsh, Taggart, Gilchrist, Sinclair, Zagorakis (Fenton 76), Savage, Eadie, Impey (Stewart 76), Elliott, Heskey (Gunnlaugsson 78). Subs Not Used: Flowers, Campbell. Sent Off: Walsh (60). Booked: Eadie, Sinclair, Walsh, Elliott. Goals: Elliott 90.

Referee: G Poll (Tring).