Chelsea produced one of the great Carabao Cup comebacks on Wednesday night, scoring six second-half goals in 41 minutes to beat Leeds 6-3 at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues trailed 2-0 after Brenden Aaronson scored in the 48th minute, adding to Tarik Muharemovic’s 23rd-minute opener. Manager Xabi Alonso had already made four substitutions at half-time, sending on Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto and Reece James. The changes turned the game completely.
Palmer scored a penalty in the 53rd minute and added a second two minutes later. Neto made it 3-2 in the 60th minute, and Danny Welbeck scored twice, either side of a Dominic Calvert-Lewin goal for Leeds. Valentin Barco also got on the scoresheet. Rogers set up four of Chelsea’s six goals.
Rogers inspires the turnaround
The game looked lost for Chelsea at half-time. Leeds had taken the lead through Muharemovic’s goal from a corner, and Aaronson doubled the advantage early in the second half despite Alonso’s changes.
The introduction of Palmer, Rogers, Neto and James changed the shape of the team. Rogers, in particular, became the creative force. He provided assists for Palmer’s second, Neto’s strike and Welbeck’s first goal.
Alonso said he accepted responsibility for the poor first half. “There was so many changes. There was a risk. Things weren’t going the way we planned, so we had to change. I take responsibility with the first half. The crowd were great, with the atmosphere [pushing the players on].”
He praised the substitutes for their readiness. “I like that [the substitutes] were ready before the game. They knew they weren’t starting and they were ready to make an impact. When you put together a team that hardly plays together, it is difficult to play at this level when [Leeds] are intense.”
Palmer penalty changes the game
The turning point came in the 51st minute. Dan James was judged to have caught Pep Chavarria’s standing leg in the Leeds box, and Chelsea were awarded a penalty.
Palmer scored from 12 yards. Two minutes later, he levelled the game, using Jaka Bijol as a shield to bend the ball beyond goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.
Leeds head coach Daniel Farke was unhappy with the penalty decision. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “We played with confidence, there was not even a chance for them, then the referee decided to give a penalty. Nobody was asking for it, all of a sudden their players came into the game. The momentum was on their side. Situations can change the whole momentum of the game.”
“Nobody was asking for it, all of a sudden their players came into the game.”
Chelsea race clear
Once level, Chelsea moved through the gears. Neto found the bottom corner in the 60th minute following a sweeping attacking move. Welbeck made it 4-2 in the 65th minute, turning away from two defenders and shooting through Zetterer’s legs.
Leeds refused to go away. Calvert-Lewin powered home in the 75th minute to make it 4-3.
The tension did not last long. Barco slammed in a fifth at the back post in the 80th minute, again from a Rogers pass. The game was finally sealed in added time when Welbeck nodded home Barco’s wildly mishit effort.
A chaotic win
Alonso’s short reign at Chelsea has been marked by attacking flair and defensive fragility. This game showed both sides. Leeds created chances throughout and pulled back to within a goal before Barco’s strike.
The manager acknowledged the ongoing issues. “I like that [the substitutes] were ready before the game,” he said, but the wider pattern was clear. Chelsea’s defending remains a concern even as the attack flourishes.
Palmer was named player of the match. He said the team is still developing under Alonso. “You can see I’m enjoying it. Me and Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, the attacking players. Not to say the defenders aren’t – but it’s a lot different. We’ve still got a bit to go, but we’re getting results and that’s the main thing.”
How the goals went in
| Minute | Event |
|---|---|
| 21 | Mike Penders makes a double save to deny Muharemovic and Aaronson |
| 23 | Muharemovic scores Leeds’ opener from a corner |
| 46 | Palmer, Rogers, James and Neto come on for Estevao, Jamie Gittens, Malo Gusto and Reggie Watson |
| 47 | Aaronson doubles Leeds’ lead after Ethan Ampadu’s work down the right |
| 51 | Chelsea awarded a penalty after Dan James catches Chavarria’s standing leg |
| 53 | Palmer scores from 12 yards |
| 55 | Palmer levels with a bending shot past Zetterer |
| 60 | Neto finds the bottom corner to make it 3-2 |
| 65 | Welbeck makes it 4-2 through Zetterer’s legs |
| 75 | Calvert-Lewin powers home to make it 4-3 |
| 80 | Barco slams in a fifth at the back post |
| 90+4 | Welbeck nods in Barco’s mishit shot for 6-3 |
Debutant thrown in
Alonso made a bold call before the game, handing 16-year-old Reggie Watson his debut. Watson was replaced at half-time along with Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Malo Gusto as Chelsea chased the game.
The mass changes were a gamble that nearly backfired. Chelsea were two goals down within minutes of the restart, and the penalty in the 51st minute changed the momentum entirely.
The Chelsea goalkeeper, Mike Penders, kept his team in the game early with a double save in the 21st minute. That moment mattered. Had Leeds gone further ahead, the comeback might never have come.
What it means
Chelsea progress to the next round of the Carabao Cup. The win was Alonso’s first real cup test, and it ended in a memorable victory.
The result was a classic cup tie, the kind of game that makes the competition memorable. Six goals in 41 minutes is a remarkable burst, and Rogers’ four assists will be the headline statistic.
Leeds will feel they contributed to an entertaining game rather than losing one they should have won. Farke’s side played with confidence and pushed Chelsea throughout, but the penalty decision shifted the momentum.
For Chelsea, the win is the thing. Palmer’s words carried the tone of a team still finding itself. “We’ve still got a bit to go, but we’re getting results and that’s the main thing.”
The next round awaits. On this evidence, chaos is not serving Chelsea too badly.
Source: skysports.com
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