Chelsea came back from two goals down to thrash Leeds United 6-3 in the Carabao Cup third round at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to reach the fourth round. Tarik Muharemovic and Brenden Aaronson had put Daniel Farke’s visitors in what looked like a commanding position before the hosts scored six times in 41 minutes.
Xabi Alonso selected a heavily revised XI with a competitive debut for 16-year-old Reggie Watson, and the experiment looked disastrous until the interval, when a complete recalibration was made. The Spaniard changed the contest, throwing on Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Reece James and Pedro Neto all at once.
Palmer converted a penalty and then curled in a second. Neto swept the Blues ahead, and Danny Welbeck scored a brace either side of Valentin Barco’s emphatic strike. The hosts emphatically regained the upper hand, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s consolation briefly restoring the threat.
Mike Penders – 6/10
His intervention in the sequence leading to the opener – a magnificent reflex double save in the corner – deserved a better fate. Three times thereafter he was beaten, but on each occasion the blame was elsewhere. Leeds put considerable pressure on for much of the first half, but his distribution was unruffled.
Josh Acheampong – 5/10
The academy graduate combined smartly with Watson to outmanoeuvre the Leeds press in the early exchanges. He made a few key cut-offs, but was constantly flustered as the visitors attacked on the transition. His positioning for Leeds’ second goal was emblematic of a disjointed collective defensive display.
Maxence Lacroix – 5/10
The Frenchman was reliable in the air and sensible for the most part when tracking back but still had a mixed evening. He was easily brushed aside in the build-up to Aaronson’s finish just after the restart. But Chelsea’s structural frailty on the counter-attack exposed a defence that never really settled.
Levi Colwill – 5/10
The England defender was poor throughout a laboured evening on his return after a minor fitness concern saw him ruled out of the Arsenal fixture. Much of the first half, he verbally guided Chavarria and organised an unfamiliar press. Alonso took him off after 76 minutes, the game still in the balance.
Malo Gusto – 4/10
By trade, the Frenchman is a full-back, but he spent much of his time infield creating overloads of little tangible reward. Muharemovic got ahead of him at the back post to score the first goal of the night. His substitution at the break was one of the least surprising of Alonso’s four changes.
Valentin Barco – 8/10
The Argentine was tenacious and combative, throwing himself into challenges and seeking possession with an unquenchable appetite. He lost the ball in the build-up to Leeds’ second, a mistake he made absolutely sure to atone for. Barco lashed home Chelsea’s fifth past 80 minutes, and his scuffed effort created Welbeck’s late header.
Reggie Watson – 6/10
The 16-year-old debutant, son of former Premier League midfielder Ben Watson, quickly settled in the boisterous atmosphere. He made some important interceptions and showed real calmness in tight areas of the pitch. A rash foul earned him a booking before the break, and he was replaced at half-time.
Pep Chavarria – 6/10
Leeds channelled the bulk of their attacking play down his flank throughout the opening 45 minutes. The full-back kept his head above water and had a good game after the interval. His stubbornness earned the penalty after Daniel James’s foul, on which the whole comeback was built.
Estevão – 5/10
The Brazilian had a couple of neat touches but never really stamped his authority on proceedings. His only truly notable dribble came just before half-time, by which point Chelsea were trailing. Alonso took him off for Palmer at half-time and proved the right call in the next 45 minutes.
Jamie Gittens – 5/10
The English winger looked really menacing every time he drove purposefully into the box. The best chance of the first half for Chelsea came on 40 minutes, when he forced Michael Zetterer into a save. Alas, these were few and far between, and he was another victim of Alonso’s half-time reconstruction.
Danny Welbeck – 8/10
The veteran forward ran the channels tirelessly, thriving when Palmer and Rogers came along to serve him up. His first goal came in the 65th minute; he skipped past two defenders with a smart touch before slotting the ball under Zetterer. And he nodded in Barco’s mishit effort deep into stoppage time to complete the rout.
Cole Palmer – 9/10
The talisman, who was introduced at the interval, almost single-handedly changed the entire complexion of the tie. He put away the penalty with his customary nonchalance before curling a sumptuous second from the edge of the area. Palmer also had a shot blocked and won the ball in midfield to start Chelsea’s fifth goal.
Morgan Rogers – 9/10
The £117m British record signing put on a show of creative penetration from the moment he entered proceedings. Rogers delivered three assists in 45 minutes with perfect deliveries for Neto, Welbeck, and Barco. A brave sliding tackle and a pinged cutback were highlights of his contribution on the night.
Reece James – 7/10
The captain steadied a midfield that had been bleeding control with alarming regularity in the opening period. He shared the ball with commendable responsibility and made a series of vital blocks and tackles. His introduction brought Chelsea the balance and control that had been glaringly absent.
Pedro Neto – 7/10
Another half-time substitute, the Portuguese winger immediately joined Chelsea’s growing momentum when he was fouled. On the hour, he curled a left-footed finish into the bottom corner to put Chelsea ahead for the first time. Neto then drove down the right in stoppage time to give the cutback that eventually led to Chelsea’s sixth.
Wesley Fofana – 6/10
The defender replaced Colwill on 76 minutes. He helped shore up a rearguard that had conceded three times and looked continually vulnerable. His substitution was smooth, and Chelsea didn’t give much more away after his introduction to the fray.