Chelsea’s substitutes came to Enzo Maresca’s rescue against League One side Cardiff with goals from Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho sending the Blues into the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
The Bluebirds, who had come through four rounds of the competition so far defeating Swindon Town, Cheltenham, Burnley and Wrexham, brought the game to Chelsea throughout the first half and were unfortunate to fall behind after the restart, with substitute Garnacho punishing a mistake from Dylan Lawlor.
The hosts managed to get on terms thanks to a stunning header from David Turnbull on 75 minutes but Pedro Neto, who also started on the bench, put a dagger to the heart of Cardiff fans just seven minutes later, firing into the far corner to put Chelsea back in control.
Garnacho tucked away his second in stoppage time to seal the victory, sending Chelsea through to the last four and keeping Maresca’s hopes of winning his first piece of domestic silverware alive.
Follow all the updates from the Carabao Cup below:
Cardiff vs Chelsea live
- Chelsea survive Cardiff scare to book place in Carabao Cup semi-finals
- 82' GOAL! Neto drills effort into bottom corner to break Cardiff hearts [CAR 1-2 CHE]
- 75' GOAL! Stunning Lawlor header puts Bluebirds on terms [CAR 1-1 CHE]
- 56' GOAL! Garnacho punishes Lawlor for loose pass to put visitors in front [CAR 0-1 CHE[
Next up in the Carabao Cup
23:30 , Will CastleThat’s all for tonight - but the Carabao Cup quarter-finals are only just getting started.
Manchester City take on Brentford while Newcastle face Fulham in two all-Premier League clashes tomorrow, before next week’s rescheduled meeting between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.
Until then!
Brian Barry-Murphy: 'It's the hope that kills you'
23:17 , Will Castle"It was evident the players gave everything for the club, and it was an incredible atmosphere and a memorable night,” Cardiff boss Barry-Murphy told Sky Sports.
“I guess it's the hope that kills you when we scored the goal through David Turnbull, probably all got carried away, myself included, trying to get that second goal.
"I couldn't be prouder of the players. The way they played the game from the first minutes, exactly in the identity we want from this club, and the supporters really revel in that and got behind us."
Enzo Maresca on if he felt supported at the club tonight
23:02 , Will Castle"Tonight the focus has to be that we reached the semi-final, the support from fans has always been there, overall tonight the focus has to be that we won and we are in the semi-final,” Maresca told Sky Sports, moving the conversation away from him.
"We are in semi-final, we will wait for tomorrow night to see what the next step is to get to the final and hopefully we can reach the final."
Alejandro Garnacho focuses on team after brace
22:43 , Will Castle"They brought me on and I tried to help the team,” Garnacho told Sky Sports. “Me, Pedro and the rest of the players did that. We are really happy.
"As a group we are doing really well. Sometimes you have to start games and sometimes you have to help from the bench. We don't focus on this, we just try to help the team.
"We'll try to compete for everything, and the semi-final is the next one so we'll try to win."
Pedro Neto reiterates Chelsea's desire to win trophies
22:27 , Will Castle“The manager said in the last 18 months this is the third semi-final we had, so we are really happy with that,” Neto told Sky Sports. “We got the win, so we are already looking for the next game.
"Sometimes we were under control but sometimes it's the small details that make the difference. Maybe we lost a bit of concentration because we had a lot of corners in the time in the game, and the first time they went up after the corners, they score.
“So it was a bit of a lack of concentration, but in the end we could go through, so we are really happy. It was the concentration. It was the will of winning this game. We wanted to win a lot this game.
“Then we had guys on the pitch who could make the difference and Garna (Alejandro Garnacho) today helped us a lot as well with two goals.
"We are Chelsea, we want to win trophies. Our mindset is to win all the games."
Chelsea survive Cardiff scare to progress in Carabao Cup
22:11 , Will Castle
FULL-TIME! Cardiff 1-3 Chelsea
22:02 , Will CastleChelsea’s substitutes came to Enzo Maresca’s rescue against League One side Cardiff with goals from Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho sending the Blues into the Carabao Cup.
The Bluebirds, who had come through four rounds of the competition so far defeating Swindon Town, Cheltenham, Burnley and Wrexham, brought the game to Chelsea throughout the first half and were unfortunate to fall behind after the restart, with substitute Garnacho punishing a mistake from Dylan Lawlor.
The hosts managed to get on terms thanks to a stunning header from David Turnbull on 75 minutes but Pedro Neto, who also started on the bench, put a dagger to the heart of Cardiff fans just seven minutes later, firing into the far corner to put Chelsea back in control.
Garnacho tucked away his second in stoppage time to seal the victory, sending Chelsea through to the last four and keeping Maresca’s hopes of winning his first piece of domestic silverware alive.
FULL-TIME! Cardiff 1-3 Chelsea
21:56 , Will CastleChelsea are the first side to book their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals!
Cardiff punched above their weight and gave the Blues a scare, but Enzo Maresca’s backup quality was just too much for the League One side.
Cardiff 1-3 Chelsea
21:55 , Will Castle90+6 mins: Only the away fans can be heard now, with Chelsea closing in on the League Cup semis.
Badiashile goes down holding his head in the box but gets up and looks to have shaken it off.
GOAL! Cardiff 1-3 Chelsea (Garnacho, 90+3')
21:52 , Will CastleThat’ll do it!
Joao Pedro sets Alejandro Garnacho away, who takes advantage of tired legs and minds to finish tidily into the side netting.
Chelsea are heading for the last four.
Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea
21:51 , Will Castle90+2 mins: There’s a strong penalty appeal from the Cardiff players for a challenge on Ashford - but the referee isn’t having it!
Replays vindicate his decision, showing a Chelsea leg getting all of the ball.
Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea
21:50 , Will Castle90+1 mins: Cardiff have six minutes to save this.
They’ve brought on Fish for Ng - some fresh legs that might be able to inspire something.
Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea
21:46 , Will Castle86 mins: Chelsea have made another substitution as they look to sure things up at the back, replacing Acheampong with Chalobah.
This is slipping away from Cardiff’s grasp but it isn’t over yet - Turnbull had another sight at goal soon after the restart.
GOAL! Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea (Neto, 82')
21:41 , Will CastlePedro Neto slices a low effort through to break Cardiff hearts!
It takes a slight deflection, making things even harder to deal with for Trott.
Once again, Enzo Maresca’s strong substitutes come to the rescue.
Cardiff 1-1 Chelsea
21:40 , Will CastleA change for Cardiff - Colwill replaces Robertson, joining fellow substitutes Willock and Salech on the pitch.
Cardiff 1-1 Chelsea
21:39 , Will Castle79 mins: Trott puts his body on the line to prevent a low cross from finding Joao Pedro after another misplaced pass at the back.
There have been too many of them tonight. Cardiff have 10 minutes to hold out for penalties.
GOAL! Cardiff 1-1 Chelsea (Turnbull, 75')
21:35 , Will CastleThe Bluebirds bite back, and it’s a STUNNING header from Turnbull who nods a wonderful delivery into the top corner.
Game on once more!
Cardiff 0-1 Chelsea
21:32 , Will Castle72 mins: CLOSE! So nearly a second for Chelsea - and it would’ve been a comical own goal!
Joao Pedro is played into the area and while the danger appears to have been dealt with by Ng, his tackle bounces off Bagan who only just avoids knocking into his own net.
It rolls agonisingly wide, out for a corner.
Cardiff 0-1 Chelsea
21:30 , Will Castle71 mins: This is a little bit better from the hosts.
They’ve struggled to get behind Chelsea in this second half but are able to get Willock to the byline, even if the resulting cross didn’t cause any trouble.
Cardiff 0-1 Chelsea
21:28 , Will Castle68 mins: Cardiff are in need of a boost and just made Jorgensen work to punch a dangerous cross - but Maresca is out to strengthen even more.
He’s taken off Jamie Gittens and Facundo Buonanotte and replaced them with usual starters Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto.
Cardiff 0-1 Chelsea
21:23 , Will Castle62 mins: Chelsea smell blood. More and more mistakes are coming from Cardiff’s back line, and Trott has had to be called into another big stop to deny Buonanotte’s curling effort.
The keeper then had to get a challenge just right to prevent Garnacho nicking in front and rounding him for an easy finish.
The Bluebirds need a boost.
GOAL! Cardiff 0-1 Chelsea (Garnacho, 57')
21:16 , Will CastleYou saw the mistakes creeping into this Cardiff side - and it’s a gift for Chelsea!
Lawlor gives it straight to Buonanotte in the final third, who slips Garnacho through to finish.
A nightmare for the young centre-back.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
21:15 , Will Castle57 mins: Blocks flying in left, right and centre from Cardiff bodies as Chelsea pile on the pressure.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
21:14 , Will Castle54 mins: SAVE! Ex-Arsenal man Chambers is a relieved man and he has his goalkeeper to thank!
He gives the ball away on the left, allowing Chelsea to break. A ball is whipped around the Cardiff centre-back and is met by Garnacho, who forces a huge save out of Trott.
That’s the biggest chance of the game so far.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
21:11 , Will Castle52 mins: Chelsea beginning to probe with Caicedo leading by example.
He darts to the edge of the box before cutting in and shooting, only to see his shot blocked. Gittens then fires to the same outcome.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
21:09 , Will Castle51 mins: Cardiff setting the tempo so far, once again. It’s been a really positive start to the second half from the League One side.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
21:07 , Will Castle48 mins: Very poor pass from Tosin in the Cardiff half leaves the hosts with an opportunity to launch forward towards an open Chelsea defence.
Acheampong comes across to prevent any serious threat but it’s a sloppy start to the second 45 from the Blues.
BACK UNDERWAY! Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
21:04 , Will CastleAnd we’re off again!
More of the same would’ve been the message from Barry-Murphy. Quite the opposite from Maresca.
Here come the teams
21:03 , Will CastleEnzo Maresca was clearly not happy with his team’s performance in that first half. He has already turned to his strong bench.
Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro are entering the fray in place of Marc Guiu and Tyrique George.
HALF-TIME! Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:55 , Will Castle
HALF-TIME! Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:47 , Will CastleGoalless at the break, and you’d do well to differentiate between the world champions and the side in League One.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:47 , Will Castle45 mins: Finally, a Chelsea player is in the book! Make that two!
Hato brings down Ashford on the edge of the box after a clash of legs, and Caicedo is then cautioned for sarcastically clapping the ref.
The free-kick is met by a Cardiff head but Jorgensen saves and holds.
One minute added on.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:45 , Will Castle44 mins: Loose ball from Badiashile gives Cardiff the opportunity to punish in Chelsea’s final third, but Turnbull gets his shot all wrong as it dribbles wide.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:44 , Will Castle42 mins: Moments at both ends once again.
It’s Chelsea first, who work it nicely outside of the box but Guiu puts too much on the through ball searching for the running Acheampong, with it rolling beyond the byline.
Then near the Blues box, Davies gets the crowd on his feet as he drives towards the area but he’s thwarted just as he gets inside.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:41 , Will Castle38 mins: This one is heating up nicely. Both teams are probing at each end, while neither are necessarily able to keep control of the ball and enjoy a prolonged spell of pressure.
Gittens looks to bring the Blues into the final third but runs out of ideas as he reaches to box, toeing it to nobody.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:35 , Will Castle34 mins: SAVE! Jorgensen does brilliantly to deny an own goal after Davies cross was deflected towards the near corner.
He gets down just in time to tip around the post.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:32 , Will Castle31 mins: SAVE! A bit of quality from Caicedo gets Chelsea on the front foot before slipping Guiu into the box, but Trott is equal to his effort.
He does well to close his legs and avoid being nutmegged by the sharp shot.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:29 , Will Castle28 mins: The home fans are furious that Buonanotte hasn’t also been booked for stopping a counter down the line.
You can’t blame them.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:28 , Will Castle27 mins: Another Cardiff player goes into the book with Callum Chambers seeing yellow.
It goes without saying that the Bluebirds need to keep 11 men on the pitch tonight. Time to up the discipline, maybe.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:24 , Will Castle23 mins: CHANCE! How many opportunities will Cardiff get like this tonight?
It’s a lovely clipped ball from the left that sets Davies away but under pressure from the chasing Chelsea defender, he snatches at the volley and scuffs it well wide.
He was baring down on Jorgensen’s goal for a second.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:22 , Will Castle21 mins: CHANCE! Lawler the makes the mistake playing out from the back and Chelsea swarm, slotting George into the box - but a Cardiff body gets across with a huge block to protect Trott’s goal!
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:17 , Will Castle16 mins: Davies goes in the book for a late challenge on Acheampong.
The Cardiff faithful voice their dismay, given Acheampong escaped a caution for his thumping tackle earlier on.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:16 , Will Castle15 mins: Chelsea are beginning to really threaten.
George dances into the Cardiff box from the right before drilling one across goal. If someone was at the back post, that would’ve been a tap-in.
But alas, neither Guiu or Gittens is there to meet it.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:13 , Will Castle13 mins: Acheampong clatters his man but Cardiff are allowed to play the advantage, with Jorgensen forced into an unconvincing save as he spills an effort straight at him. No damage done in the end.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:13 , Will Castle11 mins: Chelsea catch Cardiff cold with the short corner and quickly work it to the edge of the box where Badiashile is waiting.
The centre-back shoots first time and fires over the bar. The Frenchman isn’t exactly a sharpshooter - a different player and maybe that would have nestled into the net.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:09 , Will Castle7 mins: Half-chance for Cardiff! Ashford and Colwill combine down the right before the latter dinks one across for Robinson to head, but it’s just too high to give Jorgensen any trouble.
Robinson will give Chelsea nightmares - he scored twice for West Brom in that humiliating 5-2 loss at Stamford Bridge in 2021.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:06 , Will Castle5 mins: Chelsea are in full control of the ball so far.
It’s a clash of Pep Guardiola’s disciples in Enzo Maresca versus Brian Barry-Murphy, so both managers will no doubt be keen to win the possession battle.
Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:04 , Will Castle2 mins: Chelsea launching it long to start things off, with Gittens caught offside as he jumped for one of the searching passes.
Ng then finds himself down hurt after leaping for another hoofed ball.
KICK-OFF! Cardiff 0-0 Chelsea
20:01 , Will CastleAway we go! A place in the Carabao Cup final four awaits.
Here come the teams
19:58 , Will CastleGreat noise from the Cardiff fans. They’ll need to be on top form to shake Chelsea tonight.
Closing in on kick-off
19:51 , Will CastleWe’re less than 10 minutes away from kick-off at the Cardiff City Stadium!
Stay tuned for all the action...
Why is Cardiff vs Chelsea the only Carabao Cup tie on tonight?
19:49 , Will CastleChelsea and Cardiff City find themselves contesting the only Carabao Cup clash tonight, a rarity before the semi-finals.
That’s because Arsenal and Crystal Palace’s tie was rescheduled for next Tuesday to ease fixture congestion.
Palace faced the mildly ludicrous prospect of playing four games in eight days when the calendar reaches mid-December – hosting Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday 14 December before the Carabao Cup clash with the Gunners on Tuesday 16 December, a Conference League match against Finnish side KuPS two days after that and then a league game against Leeds to round off the hellish week on Sunday 21 December.
And Palace were given something of a reprieve, with the quarter-final being moved to Tuesday 23 December instead.
Full story:
Arsenal v Crystal Palace clash rescheduled from ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ date
Pre-match preparations underway
19:44 , Will Castle
Hannah Hampton wins major award after SPOTY nomination
19:34 , Will CastleA bit of news from the Chelsea women’s side to bring you, if you haven’t already been made aware.
England and Blues number one Hannah Hampton has been named The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper for 2025.
Her exceptional performances were instrumental in England's successful defence of their European Championship title last summer, and she also played a key role in helping Chelsea clinch a domestic treble.
Hampton conveyed her appreciation via Chelsea’s official website, thanking voters and her coaches: "Thank you very much to everyone who voted. It is greatly appreciated and really means a lot. Thank you to Sarina and Sonia for the belief in me this year.”
Chelsea arrive at the Cardiff City Stadium
19:24 , Will Castle
When is the Carabao Cup semi-final draw? Date, start time, teams and how to watch on TV
19:10 , Chris WilsonThe Carabao Cup semi-final draw takes on place on Wednesday evening as the remaining clubs in the tournament discover their last-four opponents.
The quarter-final line-up is a mouthwatering prospect with Cardiff City taking on Chelsea, Manchester City hosting Brentford, holders Newcastle facing Fulham, and Premier League leaders Arsenal against Crystal Palace.
The Arsenal-Palace match will not take place until next week after a midweek clash with Palace’s Conference League campaign. Oliver Glasner’s side are due to meet Finnish club KuPS on Thursday.
The semi-finals are the only round of fixtures in the Carabao Cup to take place over two legs. The first legs will take place in mid-January and the second legs will be in early February, before the final at Wembley on 22 Match.
When is the Carabao Cup semi-final draw? Start time, teams and how to watch on TV
Wholesale changes for Chelsea
19:04 , Will CastleEnzo Maresca has made the decision to switch all 11 players that featured in the 2-0 win over Everton on the weekend.
Cole Palmer is rested while Moises Caicedo returns to the team from illness. Marc Cucurella misses out through suspension.
There are starts for the likes of Marc Guiu, Facundo Buonanotte and Josh Acheampong.
CONFIRMED LINE-UPS!
18:54 , Will CastleCardiff XI: Trott; Ng, Lawlor, Chambers, Bagan; Wintle, J. Colwill, Turnbull; Ashford, Davies, Robinson.
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Badiashile, Tosin, Hato; Andrey Santos, Caicedo; George, Buonanotte, Gittens; Guiu.
🔢
— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 16, 2025
Your @Carabao_Cup Quarter Final #Bluebirds! 🏆#CityAsOne pic.twitter.com/5raTcwiqHN
Tonight's XI. 🫡#CFC | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/Ra3ppvRc2h
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 16, 2025
Team news
18:40 , Chris WilsonThe line-ups should be released in the next few minutes, so here's a reminder of the early team news...
For Cardiff, Omair Kellyman is ineligible because he’s on loan from Chelsea and cannot face his parent club. Rubin Colwill will also miss the match as he’s out an ankle injury meaning brother Joel Colwill should return to the front line.
Gabriel Osho and Ollie Tanner will be absentees though the latter is now back in full training after four months out and is on course to be available in the New Year.
Chelsea will be without Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, Myhaylo Mudryk and Levi Colwill who are all absent through injury. Expect Enzo Maresca to make a heap of changes despite this match being a quarter-final with most of the first choice side - including Reece James and Robert Sanchez - starting on the bench.
Marc Cucurella is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards and Marc Guiu is ineligible having played for Sunderland during his loan spell earlier this year.
How Maresca suddenly plunged Chelsea into chaos
18:25 , Chris WilsonHere’s the report from the win over Everton and Maresca’s comments afterwards...
It would have been an eyebrow-raising comment in any circumstance, but it stood out all the more after the most routine of home wins. Enzo Maresca still came out with the following after Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Everton: “The last 48 hours have been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because so many people didn’t support us”.
He even reiterated it. There were numerous curiosities to this, mostly the fact that Maresca refused to elaborate on who he was talking about.
Just “many people”.
When he was asked who, and whether it was “internal”, Maresca said people “in general”.
When asked if it was the fans, he only said, “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans”.
How Enzo Maresca suddenly plunged Chelsea into chaos — and what could come next
Head-to-head
18:10 , Chris WilsonThese two sides have met a total of 25 times in the past, with Chelsea winning 10, Cardiff winning eight and the other seven ending as draws.
Their last meetings came in the Premier League in 2018/19, when Chelsea won 4-1 at homer and 2-1 in the Welsh capital.
Enzo Maresca defiant over bombshell ‘worst 48 hours’ at Chelsea comment
17:55 , Chris WilsonChelsea boss Enzo Maresca remained defiant over his bombshell comments that he had suffered his “worst 48 hours” at the club when asked to clarify the confusing sentiment.
Maresca caused a stir over the weekend when, following Chelsea’s routine 2-0 victory over Everton, he used his post-match press conference to claim out of the blue that he had endured a torrid few days.
Having given not even the slightest hint of an issue during his pre-match press conference, which took place at the heart of the supposed 48-hour storm – shortly after a 2-1 Champions League loss to Atalanta – Maresca responded to a benign question about Malo Gusto’s impressive performance against the Toffees by hitting out.
Enzo Maresca defiant over bombshell ‘worst 48 hours’ at Chelsea comment
Chelsea suffered huge spike in injuries after Club World Cup, new study reveals
17:40 , Chris WilsonChelsea experienced a significant 44 per cent surge in injuries following their participation in this year’s expanded Club World Cup, new findings revealed on Tuesday.
However, the latest edition of the Men’s European Football Injury Index suggests the newly enlarged tournament has, so far, had a "minimal impact" on overall injury rates across European football.
The decision by Fifa in 2023 to expand its flagship club event from seven to 32 teams faced considerable opposition, with players’ unions voicing concerns over potential physical and mental burnout due to an ever-growing match schedule.
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Chelsea suffered huge spike in injuries after Club World Cup, new study reveals
When is Cardiff vs Chelsea?
17:28 , Chris WilsonCardiff vs Chelsea is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Tuesday 16 December at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardiff.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with coverage on the channel from 7.30pm GMT. A live stream will be available via Sky Go.
Possible line-ups
17:23 , Chris WilsonCardiff XI: Trott; Ng, Fish, Chambers, Bagan; Wintle, Robertson, Turnbull; Ashford, Salech, J. Colwill
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Estevao, Buonanotte, Gittens; George
Chelsea team news
17:18 , Chris WilsonChelsea will be without Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, Myhaylo Mudryk and Levi Colwill who are all absent through injury. Expect Enzo Maresca to make a heap of changes despite this match being a quarter-final with most of the first choice side - including Reece James and Robert Sanchez - starting on the bench.
Marc Cucurella is suspended due to accumulated yellow cards and Marc Guiu is ineligible having played for Sunderland during his loan spell earlier this year.
Cardiff team news
17:15 , Chris WilsonFor Cardiff, Omair Kellyman is ineligible because he’s on loan from Chelsea and cannot face his parent club. Rubin Colwill will also miss the match as he’s out an ankle injury meaning brother Joel Colwill should return to the front line.
Gabriel Osho and Ollie Tanner will be absentees though the latter is now back in full training after four months out and is on course to be available in the New Year.
Cardiff vs Chelsea live
17:10 , Chris WilsonChelsea face a trip to Wales to take on Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals knowing that a win keeps them in the hunt for a first domestic trophy under boss Enzo Maresca.
Since taking on the head coach role, Maresca has led Chelsea to winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup but he is yet to earn success in England. The Blues currently sit fourth in the Premier League but are eight points behind leaders Arsenal and seem unlikely to mount a genuine title challenge.
As such, the Carabao Cup and FA Cup provide the ideal opportunity for Maresca, who recently called out a lack of support from the club, to build on the team’s previous successes.
Chelsea have the easiest draw on paper with Cardiff the lowest ranked team left in the competition. The League One outfit defeated Wrexham in the previous round and sit top of the table with a four point lead pointing to a fine run of form which could surprise the Blues if they aren’t quite at their best tonight.
Good evening
17:05 , Will CastleHello all and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup clash with Cardiff City.
The Blues come into the game harbouring dreams of more silverware but are reeling off of Enzo Maresca’s post-match comments from the win over Everton, in which he described the previous 48 hours as the worst of his tenure thus far.
Can League One’s Cardiff capitalise on potential instability and pull of a major upset on home turf?
Stay tuned for all the build-up, team news and updates ahead of the clash!
