Chelsea produced a remarkable second half comeback to beat Leeds United 6 3 in a thrilling League Cup third round encounter at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The Blues looked close to elimination after Tarik Muharemovic gave Leeds the lead in the 23rd minute, before Brenden Aaronson doubled the visitors’ advantage shortly after the restart.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso responded at half time by bringing on Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto and Reece James. The changes completely transformed the game as Chelsea turned a two goal deficit into a comfortable victory.
Palmer started the comeback by converting a penalty before quickly adding another goal to bring Chelsea level. Neto then completed the turnaround in the 60th minute with a fine finish from around 20 yards.
Danny Welbeck extended Chelsea’s lead four minutes later, turning before firing a powerful effort past Leeds goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.
Leeds refused to give up and Dominic Calvert Lewin pulled one back in the 75th minute after being set up by Noah Okafor. However, Valentin Barco restored Chelsea’s three goal advantage five minutes later after Zetterer failed to deal with Rogers’s cross.
Welbeck completed the scoring in stoppage time, guiding a cushioned header into the net from Barco’s effort to cap a remarkable night for the hosts.
The victory was a welcome response from Alonso after Chelsea suffered a 2 1 defeat against Premier League champions Arsenal on Sunday, ending the Spaniard’s perfect three game winning start in charge.
Chelsea have now scored 16 goals in Alonso’s first five matches, highlighting the attacking quality available to the manager. However, they have also conceded 10 goals during that period, showing that defensive concerns from last season remain an issue.
Alonso has already had to deal with an unsettled squad following Chelsea’s £349 million spending during the transfer window. Against Arsenal, Reece James and Malo Gusto, both primarily right backs, were used in central midfield.
For the Leeds clash, Alonso made nine changes and handed teenage midfielder Reggie Watson his debut. The 16 year old became the fourth youngest player to represent Chelsea and lined up alongside Argentine youngster Barco.
Watson is the son of former Wigan Athletic midfielder Ben Watson, who scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final.
Chelsea’s heavily rotated team initially struggled to cope with Leeds, who took advantage from a 23rd minute corner. Harry Wilson’s delivery found Muharemovic at the far post, and the Bosnia defender powered his header beyond Mike Penders for his first goal for Leeds.
Leeds then doubled their lead three minutes after half time. Ethan Ampadu’s cross was flicked on by Lukas Nmecha before Aaronson finished the move with a composed strike.
Chelsea’s comeback began in the 53rd minute when Daniel James was penalised for a challenge on Pep Chavarria, allowing Palmer to convert from the spot.
Two minutes later, Palmer struck again as his effort slowly found its way past Zetterer to make it 2 2.
The momentum had completely shifted, and Neto put Chelsea ahead six minutes later with a curling effort from outside the box.
Welbeck then added another goal before Leeds managed to respond through Calvert Lewin. Chelsea eventually regained control and finished the match with two more goals to seal their place in the fourth round.
League Cup holders Manchester City and Arsenal will play their third round matches next week against Norwich City and Ipswich Town respectively.
Liverpool will host Tottenham Hotspur, while Manchester United will welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to Old Trafford.
Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Bradford City had already booked their places in the fourth round after victories on Tuesday.
