Chelsea are in the lead against Cardiff again! In a game which had a pretty dire first half, we’ve had some second half entertainment.
The Blues took the lead early in the second period after Enzo Maresca brought on some of his big guns. But Cardiff were strong in the first half, and it didn’t take long for them to strike back with a nice header.
Then the crowd were up and rocking, and suddenly Chelsea looked worried. But Pedro Neto, another first team star brought on to steady the ship, has saved the day.
Joao Pedro’s addition gave Chelsea some presence in the box, and he held up a ball which allowed his teammates to push forward. He eventually laid it off to Estevao, who played in Neto.
The Portugal international’s strike got a deflection on the way through which made it difficult to deal with.
You can see the goal in the clips embedded here:
Pedro Neto has scored and restored Chelsea's lead 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WgEiKd61sl
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 16, 2025
[Footage from Sky Sports]
Update: Garnacho bags again as Chelsea win on difficult
Alejandro Garnacho strides through to score for Chelsea.
Alejandro Garnacho strides through to score for Chelsea.
Chelsea have finally sealed it, taking advantage of the Cardiff desperation and striking on the counter, with Garnacho getting his second of the game.
Job done for Enzo Maresca’s team, although it’s disappointing once again that he had to turn to the big guns to get it done.
You can see the goal in the clips embedded here:
Alejandro Garnacho gets his brace and seemingly secures Chelsea's place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals 🔵 pic.twitter.com/Kcq0c12dcU
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) December 16, 2025
[Footage from Sky Sports]
In other news…
Chelsea’s first goal in the game from half time sub Alejandro Garnacho. He finished first time after being played in by Facundo Buonanotte, who had taken advantage of a rare Cardiff possession error and stolen the ball.
A poor first half performance had Chelsea called “tame and predictable” by Sky Sports’ commentators. You won’t find much disagreement with that.
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Alejandro Garnacho scores against Cardiff for Chelsea.
Marc Guiu at Selhurst Park. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Chelsea score their second goal.