Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto came on from the bench to help Chelsea save the day with a 3-1 win over Cardiff and a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Manager Enzo Maresca had named a completely different Chelsea side to the one that beat Everton at the weekend, but was forced to return to the bench after the Ligue 1 outfit proved difficult to conquer.
Moises Caicedo returned after a three-game domestic suspension, and Enzo Fernandes, Joao Pedro, Neto and Garnacho were among the players on the bench at a cost of nearly £400m, significantly more than the starting XI.
Cardiff are currently four points clear at the top of League One on 41 points and are playing with great energy and belief.
Maresca returned to the bench at half-time, bringing on Garnacho and Pedro, and Chelsea immediately began to put pressure on.
Garnacho thrived when called upon and scored Chelsea’s first goal in the 57th minute when Dylan Lawler held the ball, but David Turnbull equalized for Cardiff with 15 minutes remaining with a sensational header.
It was his first goal in 13 months and gave new hope to the final EFL team in the competition.
However, Neto produced a Premier League moment to make it 2-1 and Garnacho equalized with his second goal in added time.
Pedro Neto restores lead against Cardiff and celebrates with Chelsea team-mates
Chelsea have now won each of their last 19 League Cup ties against teams from lower divisions and can look forward to a double semi-final in January. The draw for the Carabao Cup semi-final will take place live on Sky Sports Main Event following Wednesday’s match between Newcastle and Fulham.
Maresca: We are moving in the right direction
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Enzo Maresca dodged a question about whether he felt “grateful” to Chelsea after leading them to the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told Sky Sports.
“I’m especially happy with the effort of our players. I said yesterday that we have to be careful because there are a lot of tricky games like this in soccer, but we were able to play a good game.”
“Off the ball we were pretty good, but on the ball we struggled a little bit to create chances (in the first half) for a lot of reasons. We were much better with the ball in the second half.”
“There was a big difference between the first half and the second half, and we attacked in a different way. Cardiff were very organized and intense. In the end they did enough to win the game.”
“We’re moving in the right direction because in everything I do, I want to do what’s best for the club, the fans and everyone,” he said of the three semi-finals he’s played under his stewardship.
Do you feel appreciated? “The highlight tonight was that we made it to the semi-finals, and the support of our fans from day one has always been there.
“I think there are times when we don’t win games, and it’s normal for the opponent to not be happy, but no one is happy. Overall, we have to focus on us winning and making it to the semi-finals.”
Chelsea September January fixtures
It’s going to be a busy start to the year for Chelsea!
If they reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals, they will play nine games in four different competitions in January.
Sunday 4th January: Man City vs Chelsea – Premier League, 5.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 7th January: Fulham v Chelsea – Premier League, 7.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
Saturday 10th January: Charlton vs Chelsea – FA Cup 3rd Round, 8pm kick-off
W/C January 12: Carabao Cup semi-final first leg
Saturday 17th January: Chelsea vs Brentford – Premier League, 3pm kick-off
Wednesday 21st January: Chelsea vs Paphos – Champions League, kick-off 8pm
Sunday 25th January: Crystal Palace vs Chelsea – Premier League, 2pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
Wednesday 28th January: Napoli vs Chelsea – Champions League, kick-off 8pm
Saturday 31st January: Chelsea vs West Ham – Premier League, 5.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
