Chelsea booked their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals after a hard-fought 3–1 victory over League One leaders Cardiff City at a raucous Cardiff City Stadium, with second-half substitutes making the decisive impact in an absorbing quarter-final clash.
Roared on by a fervent capacity crowd, Cardiff matched their Premier League opponents stride for stride for long spells and produced an impressive, fearless display, particularly in a goalless first half that showcased their discipline both in and out of possession.
Maresca Rings the Changes After ‘Worst 48 Hours’
Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca made 11 changes from Saturday’s Premier League win over Everton, a match overshadowed by his post-game admission that the previous 48 hours had been the “worst” of his time at the club.
Despite the wholesale rotation, Maresca was still able to field a strong side, recalling £100m midfielder Moisés Caicedo, while the substitutes’ bench alone was estimated to be worth close to £400m.
However, Chelsea struggled to impose themselves in a subdued first half, doing little to ease the Italian’s frustration after an underwhelming opening 45 minutes.
Substitutes Turn the Tide
Unimpressed by his side’s display, Maresca made two half-time substitutions, introducing Alejandro Garnacho and João Pedro, who immediately changed the tone of the contest.
Garnacho quickly injected pace and purpose, forcing Cardiff goalkeeper Nathan Trott into a fine save before eventually breaking the deadlock.
Chelsea took the lead when Cardiff centre-back Dylan Lawlor gave possession away, allowing Facundo Buonanotte to slide a pass through for Garnacho, who finished clinically to put the visitors ahead.
Cardiff Hit Back as Stadium Erupts
Rather than folding, Brian Barry-Murphy’s side responded with belief and intensity.
Their pressure was rewarded when Perry Ng delivered a delightful left-footed cross from the right, which David Turnbull met with a superb diving header to equalise.
The goal sparked deafening celebrations inside the stadium and briefly raised hopes of another famous cup upset for Cardiff, who had already eliminated Burnley and Wrexham earlier in the competition.
Neto Restores Chelsea’s Lead
The hosts’ joy was short-lived. Another Chelsea substitute, Pedro Neto, restored the visitors’ lead with a firm low drive that took a slight deflection off Joel Bagan’s heel before nestling in the bottom corner.
Chelsea then sealed the result deep into added time when Garnacho struck again, adding his second goal of the night to make sure of victory and dampen the electric home atmosphere.
Maresca: ‘These Are the Games I Fall in Love With the Players’
After the final whistle, Maresca celebrated with the travelling Chelsea supporters and was serenaded as fans sang his name — a stark contrast to the scrutiny he had faced days earlier.
“I’m just happy, we’re going to play another semifinal and I think it’s what the fans deserve,” Maresca said.
“It was a great moment, I appreciate, always thankful.”
“In some moments when you don’t win games, they have been not happy, but it’s normal. But overall, the fans have always been there.”
“These are the kind of games that I fall in love even more with the players because you cannot imagine how easy it is to slip, to slide, because they are tricky games.
“Every season there are teams that they lost against, you know, League Two or League One. You need to pay attention, you need to do the right things.”
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‘I Haven’t Spoken to Anyone’ – Maresca Dismisses Speculation
Maresca also addressed the fallout from his comments after the Everton game, confirming he had not spoken to Chelsea’s hierarchy since then.
“No, as I said yesterday [Monday], the day after Everton, I started to prepare Cardiff. Focus on Cardiff,” he said.
“Now I just said on the bus I will watch [Saturday’s opponents] Newcastle and I didn’t speak with anyone. I didn’t speak, no it’s OK.”
“I always said that I’ve been happy since day one. So it’s not that tonight I’m not happy. I’m happy.”
“Now we have three hours to arrive to Cobham and I will watch two Newcastle games.”
“There is no time. Time is for the players. For us as a staff, we’re going to be focused on the next one, that is Newcastle, so we’re going to prepare.”
Maresca also revealed that Brazilian winger Estêvão will miss the upcoming Newcastle clash with a “small muscle problem”.
Cardiff Earn Praise Despite Exit
Although eliminated, Cardiff’s performance drew widespread admiration. Under Barry-Murphy, the League One leaders have moved away from the robust, direct style of previous eras and now play a possession-based, attacking brand of football driven by young players and academy graduates.
They impressed defensively with coordinated pressing and positional discipline, while also posing genuine attacking threats.
Callum Robinson and Turnbull tested Chelsea early, while Isaak Davies caused problems down the left flank.
Chelsea March On
Chelsea will now await their EFL Cup semi-final opponents, with the draw set to take place on Wednesday.
While the performance was far from convincing, the result offers welcome relief for Maresca after a turbulent few days and keeps alive Chelsea’s hope of lifting the trophy for the first time in 10 years.
