Cardiff City 1-3 Chelsea, League Cup: Post-match reaction, ratings
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Chelsea overcame a shaky start to defeat Cardiff City 3-1 in the League Cup. Read our post-match analysis, including player ratings and key moments.
Chelsea advanced in the League Cup with a 3-1 victory over Cardiff City, though the match was far from straightforward. The Blues fielded a heavily rotated starting eleven, and the unfamiliar lineup struggled to find any rhythm in the first half.
The opening 45 minutes were plagued by a lack of cohesion, poor quality, and frequent individual errors, both with and without the ball. Goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen was called upon to make at least one excellent save to keep the score level.
Chelsea's performance improved after the break. Buonanotte delivered a quality ball that substitute Garnacho couldn't initially convert, but the pair connected again shortly after, giving Chelsea the lead just before the hour mark.
That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. Chelsea failed to capitalize on their advantage, and Cardiff equalized in the 75th minute after an unmarked player ran through the middle of the box, with the Chelsea defense failing to track the run. Pedro Neto then scored a late goal to restore Chelsea's lead, and Garnacho added another in stoppage time to secure the victory.
Key facts from the match:
- There were 11 changes to the Chelsea starting lineup from the weekend's game, with 10 backup players and Caicedo included.
- Garnacho and JP were brought on at halftime, followed by Neto and Gusto in the 60th minute.
- Garnacho's brace doubled his Chelsea goal total in one game.
The remaining League Cup quarterfinal matches will be played tomorrow, with the semifinal draw to follow. Chelsea's next match is away against Newcastle on Saturday in an early kickoff.
KTBFFH
PLAYER RATINGS:
