Eddie Howe Left Feeling 'Heartbroken' After Cherries Slip to Late Carabao Cup Quarter-Final Defeat

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was understandably downbeat after seeing his side slide to a stoppage-time defeat to Chelsea in their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie.

The Cherries looked to have forced extra time after Dan Gosling's last-minute goal, but a lapse in concentration moments later saw Alvaro Morata seal Chelsea's place in the semi-final.

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Admitting it was a crushing blow in his post-match press conference, Howe said; "It feels heart-breaking to be honest and the players gave everything. We didn’t get the best start and they scored a good goal from their perspective.

"In the second half, we had waves of attack and we scored, but the last part of the game is bitterly disappointing. I think we’re experienced enough to know, but it’s just one of those things."

The Bournemouth boss was also downbeat when asked about striker Jermain Defoe, who was forced to limp off in the opening stages of the game.

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"Jermain [Defoe] looks like he’s got some damage to his ankle ligaments, it was a nasty tackle. I haven’t seen it back, but I didn’t think it was a red card and my gut was that it was a yellow.

"However, we lost Jermain and that’s going to be a big blow."

After back-to-back league defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool, Howe's side will attempt to bounce back from their latest defeat when they travel to the Etihad Stadium to face a rampant Manchester City side, seeking their 17th consecutive Premier League victory.