CHELSEA BEAT CARDIFF 3–1 TO REACH LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINALS AMID MARESCA PRESSURE
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Chelsea booked their place in the League Cup semi-finals with a 3–1 victory over League One leaders Cardiff City on Tuesday night, easing the pressure on head coach Enzo Maresca after a turbulent few days at the club.
The Blues were forced to dig deep in the quarter-final clash in the Welsh capital after being pushed hard by their third-tier opponents before late goals sealed the win.
After a scrappy first half in which Cardiff created the better chances, Maresca turned to his bench at the interval, introducing Alejandro Garnacho and João Pedro. The changes paid immediate dividends as Garnacho opened the scoring in the 57th minute.
Cardiff’s resistance was rewarded in the 75th minute when David Turnbull rose highest to power a header past Filip Jorgensen, punishing Chelsea’s poor marking and drawing the hosts level in front of a sell-out crowd of 33,000.
However, Chelsea responded strongly. Pedro Neto restored the visitors’ lead in the 82nd minute with a low, deflected strike after being set up by João Pedro. Garnacho then capped an impressive cameo in stoppage time, lifting a composed finish over goalkeeper Nathan Trott to secure the win.
The victory was a timely boost for Maresca, whose comments following Saturday’s 2–0 Premier League win over Everton had sparked speculation about tensions between the manager and Chelsea’s hierarchy. The Italian had claimed the previous 48 hours were his worst at Stamford Bridge, citing a lack of “support,” remarks widely interpreted as criticism of the club’s ownership and sporting directors.
Chelsea’s triumph over Cardiff was only their second win in six matches across all competitions and marked their third semi-final appearance in 18 months under Maresca, who earlier this year guided the club to Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League success.
With an eye on Saturday’s Premier League trip to Newcastle, Maresca made wholesale changes to his starting line-up, resting key players such as Cole Palmer, while Moisés Caicedo returned from suspension.
Chelsea, currently eight points behind league leaders Arsenal, are chasing their first League Cup title since 2015.
Elsewhere in the League Cup quarter-finals, Manchester City host Brentford and Newcastle United face Fulham on Wednesday, while Arsenal will take on Crystal Palace on December 23.
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