Chelsea hit six after Leeds scare in EFL Cup comeback

Lead

Chelsea are through to the EFL Cup fourth round after overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Leeds United 6-3 in a nine-goal third-round tie at Stamford Bridge on 9 September. Source 1Source 2Source 4

The decisive swing came immediately after the interval, when Chelsea scored four times from the 53rd to the 65th minute to transform a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Source 2Source 3Source 9

What happened

Tarik Muharemovic put Leeds ahead in the 23rd minute, and Brenden Aaronson extended the visitors’ advantage in the 48th minute after Chelsea had gone into half-time 1-0 behind. Source 1Source 3Source 5Source 9

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso had made nine changes from the side’s previous Premier League fixture, then introduced Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto and Reece James at half-time. Source 3

Palmer began the recovery with a penalty in the 53rd minute and curled in another two minutes later, bringing Chelsea level. Source 1Source 2Source 3

Neto then scored on the hour before Danny Welbeck made it 4-2 in the 65th minute, completing the four-goal burst in 12 minutes. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4

Rogers supplied three assists during that second-half scoring sequence. Source 2Source 3

Leeds remained in the contest when Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored in the 75th minute to reduce the deficit to 4-3. Source 1Source 3

Valentin Barco restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion with his first goal for the club in the 80th minute, before Welbeck headed in again in stoppage time to complete the 6-3 result. Source 1Source 2Source 3

Why it matters

The victory sends Chelsea into the fourth round of the EFL Cup after a tie in which they had been two goals down early in the second half. Source 1Source 4Source 9

The scale of the turnaround was especially striking because Leeds had 51% possession and 18 shots to Chelsea’s 16, although Chelsea placed eight attempts on target and scored six times. Source 6

Chelsea’s ability to rapidly change the scoreline after the interval was underlined by the contributions of Palmer, Neto, Welbeck and Rogers, while Barco’s goal delivered a personal first for the club. Source 1Source 2Source 3

The cup win also arrives with Chelsea fourth in the Premier League after three matches, with six points from two wins and one defeat. Source 8

What’s next

Chelsea return to Premier League action at home to Hull City on Saturday 12 September, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 BST. Source 7

Their next EFL Cup opponent and the date of the fourth-round tie are not included in the available match and schedule information. Source 1Source 4Source 7

Notes

The match record and event timeline agree that Chelsea were 1-0 down at half-time, with Leeds’ second goal recorded in the 48th minute. Source 5Source 9

The 6-3 scoreline should be read alongside the shot and possession figures: Leeds created more attempts and had marginally more of the ball, while Chelsea were more productive with their efforts on target. Source 6

Chelsea’s six goals all came after half-time, turning a difficult cup evening into progression in emphatic fashion. Source 2Source 3Source 4