Chelsea stun Leeds 6-3 after two-goal comeback in EFL Cup
by Moronfolu Adeyemi · The Eagle OnlineChelsea fought back from two goals down to beat Leeds 6-3 in a thrilling EFL Cup third-round tie at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Xabi Alonso’s side looked set for an early exit after Tarik Muharemovic put Leeds ahead in the first half before Brenden Aaronson doubled the visitors’ lead shortly after the interval.
But Alonso’s half-time changes transformed the game as Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto and Reece James were introduced.
Palmer scored twice to bring Chelsea level before Neto put the Blues ahead, while Danny Welbeck added a fourth.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back for Leeds, but Valentin Barco restored Chelsea’s two-goal advantage before Welbeck completed the scoring in stoppage time.
The victory came as a response to Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Premier League champions Arsenal, which ended Alonso’s three-game winning start at Chelsea.
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- Chelsea stun Leeds 6-3 after two-goal comeback in EFL Cup
The Spanish manager has now overseen 16 goals in his first five matches, but Chelsea have also conceded 10, highlighting the defensive issues that have remained since last season.
Chelsea’s squad depth was again tested after they spent £349 million ($472 million) during the transfer window.
Against Arsenal, Alonso ended the match with Reece James and Malo Gusto, both usually right-backs, operating in central midfield.
Against Leeds, he again experimented in midfield as teenage debutant Reggie Watson started alongside Argentine youngster Barco.
Watson, 16, became the fourth-youngest player in Chelsea’s history, while his father, Ben Watson, scored Wigan’s FA Cup final winner against Manchester City in 2013.
Alonso’s decision to make nine changes nearly backfired when Leeds took the lead from a 23rd-minute corner.
Harry Wilson’s delivery to the far post caught Chelsea flat-footed and Bosnia defender Muharemovic powered a header past Mike Penders for his first Leeds goal.
Leeds remained dangerous after Chelsea introduced their senior players at half-time and doubled their advantage in the 48th minute.
Ethan Ampadu’s cross was flicked on by Lukas Nmecha and Aaronson finished to make it 2-0.
Chelsea were handed a route back into the game five minutes later when Daniel James was judged to have fouled Pep Chavarria, allowing Palmer to convert from the penalty spot.
Two minutes later, Palmer levelled the scores when his effort trickled past Leeds debutant goalkeeper Michael Zetterer.
Chelsea then took control as Neto curled the third goal beyond Zetterer from 20 yards in the 60th minute.
Welbeck made it 4-2 just 12 minutes after Chelsea had fallen two goals behind, turning before firing a powerful strike past Zetterer.
Calvert-Lewin reduced the deficit in the 75th minute with a clinical finish from Noah Okafor’s pass.
Chelsea restored their two-goal lead five minutes later when Barco swept the ball into an empty net after Zetterer failed to deal with Rogers’s cross.
Welbeck completed the comeback in stoppage time with a cushioned header from Barco’s shot.
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