Chelsea 6-3 Leeds United: Carabao Cup Match Report

The three previous encounters have seen goals with a Chelsea 1-0 win at home in the FA Cup last season, a 2-2 home draw at Stamford Bridge and a 3-1 Leeds United win at Elland Road the latter two in the Premier League.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Mike Penders in goal, then a back four of Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill the captain and Pep Chavarria then two holding midfielders being Malo Gusto and Valentin Barco then three attacking midfielders in Estevao, Reggie Watson the son of Ben Watson who scored the winning goal for Wigan Athletic in the 2013 FA Cup Final and Jamie Gittens with Danny Welbeck up front.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke started with a 3-4-2-1 formation with Michael Zetterer in goal then a back three of James Justin, Jaka Bijol and Tarik Muharemovic then a four man midfield of Daniel James, Ethan Ampadu, Sean Longstaff and Melvin Michael Maxence Bard then two attacking midfielders in Harry Wilson and Brenden Aaronson and Lukas Nmecha up front.

Leeds United kicked off the first half wearing a changed strip of yellow shirts, black shorts and yellow socks. Chelsea were in their traditional blue and white.

Chelsea started well and took the play to Leeds United. The Blues had scored early in their last four matches but did not score in the opening ten minutes which was a new statistic for the team this season.

Harry Wilson looked good during the early stages for Leeds United in support of Nmecha when the visitors came forward. Reggie Watson looked impressive for Chelsea in the middle of the park.

Leeds United opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through a header by Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic at the back post from a corner assist by Harry Wilson to make it 0-1.

With Leeds United's next attack Sean Longstaff saw a right footed shot go over the crossbar when he should have scored to make it 0-2 from 15 yards out but his effort was poor in the 30th minute.

Valentin Barco saw a left footed shot from the edge of the Leeds United penalty area blocked by Jaka Bijol in the 35th minute. Reggie Watson was yellow carded in first half added time.

Chelsea kicked off the second half 0-1 down to a Leeds United side that had controlled much of the first half and stopped Chelsea playing their customary attractive one touch football.

Something needed to change and Xabi Alonso brought on four substitutions at the interval with the impressive and tenacious 16 year old youngster Reggie Watson, Malo Gusto, Jamie Gittens and Estevao replaced by the cavalry of Reece James, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto.

Things got worse to start as Leeds United went 2-0 up as Brenden Aaronson doubled their advantage in the 48th minute after captain Ethan Ampadu crossed into the near post where Lukas Nmecha produced a lovely flick assist into the path of Aaronson who fired home from close range to score. Leeds United fans were in dreamland at two up and everything seemed rosy in the garden.

In the 53rd minute Chelsea were awarded a penalty after Daniel James fouled Pep Chavarria and referee Jarred Gillett the Australian awarded a soft penalty kick. It was a lifeline for the Blues and gladly they had Cole Palmer on the pitch. Cole Palmer drilled home the penalty with a low left footed shot into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-2.

Then, Chelsea powered forward with two goals in three minutes as Cole Palmer scored although Leeds United goalkeeper Michael Zetterer should have done better in saving the shot but it became 2-2 in the 55th minute. The Leeds United fans in the Shed End went quiet. The assist was from Morgan Rogers.

Chelsea started to run through the gears and oozed class and in the 60th minute the Blues went 3-2 ahead as Pedro Neto curled a low shot into the net from 20 yards out to beat Michael Zetterer to finally lead in the game. The assist was again from Morgan Rogers.

Cole Palmer who was on a hat-trick fired a delicious 25 yard left footed shot on target but his effort was blocked in the 63rd minute. Chelsea then added a fourth goal which was four goals in 17 minutes after another error by Whites goalkeeper Michael Zetterer who was probably to blame for three of the first four Blues goals. Danny Welbeck hit the fourth goal for Chelsea with a shot from 12 yards out to make it 4-2 in the 65th minute. The assist for the fourth goal was again from Morgan Rogers with his third assist of the game.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke whose side went from 2-0 up to 4-2 down brought on Ao Tanaka, Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin for Dan James, Brenden Aaronson, Sean Longstaff and Lukas Nmecha in the 66th and 67th minutes.

Xabi Alonso had made four brilliant substitutions as Chelsea excelled in the first twenty minutes of the second half. Leeds United felt they should have been awarded a penalty after Pep Chavarria handled inside the penalty area but referee Jarred Gillett waved away appeals and awarded a corner instead in the 74th minute.

Then a minute later Noah Okafor with the assist and Dominic Calvert-Lewin linked up well after Okafor crossed into the penalty area from the left flank and Calvert-Lewin ran into the area and fired home with a right footed shot to make it 4-3 in the 75th minute. It was fast becoming a Cup tie reminiscent of the Chelsea-Leeds 1970 FA Cup Final replay which the Blues won 2-1 at Old Trafford.

In the 80th minute Chelsea went 5-3 up after Valentin Barco tapped in from close range after Leeds United goalkeeper Michael Zetterer could only parry Morgan Rogers' cross into the path of Argentine Barco who drilled the ball home to make it five!

Xabi Alonso was yellow carded in the 83rd minute for words with the referee. Leeds United went close to making it 5-4 in the 84th minute but Ao Tanaka's shot was blocked by Josh Acheampong.

Leeds United felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the 88th minute when Noah Okafor had been caught when making a cross into the penalty area but referee Jarred Gillett gave nothing much to the annoyance of Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.

The score was 5-3 at 90 minutes but Chelsea were not finished as Danny Welbeck scored his second goal of the game to make it 6-3 in the 90th+4 minute with a cushioned header from an assist by Valentin Barco.

Leeds United at 2-0 up felt they should have won for the first time at Stamford Bridge since 1999 but Xabi Alonso's decision making at the interval led to his players blowing the visitors away with six goals out of eight in an entertaining second half of Cup tie football at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea now host Hull City at home at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday whilst Leeds United host Newcastle United at home on Monday.