Cole Palmer transformed Chelsea’s night as Xabi Alonso’s side recovered from two goals down to beat Leeds United 6-3 and reach the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Chelsea looked in serious trouble when Brenden Aaronson doubled Leeds’ advantage shortly after half-time, following Tarik Muharemovic’s opening goal.
Alonso responded aggressively.
Palmer, Pedro Neto, Reece James and Morgan Rogers were all introduced at the break, and Chelsea turned the tie around within minutes.
Palmer scored twice in quick succession before Neto and Danny Welbeck completed a remarkable four-goal burst.
Chelsea continued to find space as Leeds chased the game and eventually pulled away to secure a chaotic 6-3 victory, with Valentin Barco also among the late scorers.
Into the fourth round of the #CarabaoCup! 🙌#CFC pic.twitter.com/7AcjyHbE5W
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 9, 2026
Palmer changes Chelsea vs Leeds completely
Chelsea had struggled badly during the opening 45 minutes.
Alonso made nine changes from Sunday’s defeat against Arsenal and handed 16-year-old Reggie Watson his competitive senior debut, as covered in ReadChelsea’s confirmed Chelsea team against Leeds.
Leeds punished the lack of cohesion.
Muharemovic headed the visitors ahead from a corner after 23 minutes, leaving Chelsea trailing 1-0 at the interval.
Aaronson then made the situation significantly worse three minutes after the restart.
His finish put Leeds 2-0 ahead and forced Alonso’s half-time changes to produce an immediate response.
They did.
Palmer converted a penalty in the 53rd minute before scoring again just two minutes later to drag Chelsea level.
The speed of the turnaround completely changed Stamford Bridge.
The Guardian’s live coverage of Chelsea against Leeds detailed how Palmer’s quickfire double was followed by another Chelsea surge.
Neto and Welbeck complete stunning turnaround
Neto put Chelsea ahead for the first time on the hour.
Palmer found Rogers centrally before the summer signing released Neto, who finished into the far corner.
Five minutes later it was 4-2.
Rogers again caused the damage down the right before cutting the ball back for Welbeck.
The striker produced a clever finish to score for the second consecutive Carabao Cup round after also finding the net in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Luton Town.
Leeds did manage to reduce the deficit through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Chelsea’s attacking momentum proved too much.
Alonso’s side struck twice more during the closing stages, with Barco getting his reward after being handed another start in midfield.
It completed an extraordinary nine-goal cup tie.
Alonso’s substitutes rescue Chelsea
The scoreline will not hide Chelsea’s problems.
Conceding three goals at home after allowing Leeds to establish a two-goal advantage gives Alonso plenty to address.
However, his response from the bench was decisive.
Palmer changed the match almost immediately, Rogers became increasingly influential and Neto provided the direct running Chelsea had lacked during the first half.
Chelsea also maintained their remarkable cup record against Leeds.
ReadChelsea’s Chelsea vs Leeds head-to-head guide highlighted how the Blues had progressed from every previous domestic cup tie between the clubs.
That record survives after one of the most chaotic meetings yet.
Chelsea are into the Carabao Cup fourth round.
The manner of their progression, however, gives Alonso plenty to think about.
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