CARDIFF, WALES, ENGLAND — Alejandro Garnacho's clinical brace propelled Chelsea to a 1-3 victory over Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup, with the Argentine forward's stoppage-time strike sealing the comeback after the hosts had threatened an upset at Cardiff City Stadium.
Garnacho broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, latching onto Facundo Buonanotte's clever assist before drilling a left-footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. The breakthrough came after Chelsea had peppered Nathan Trott's goal throughout the opening period, with the Cardiff goalkeeper making crucial saves to keep the scoreline level. David Turnbull hauled Cardiff level in the 75th minute with a towering header from Perry Ng's pinpoint cross, sending the home faithful into raptures. But Pedro Neto restored Chelsea's advantage just seven minutes later, his right-footed effort from the right side of the box finding the bottom left corner after Andrey Santos' astute pass. Garnacho then delivered the knockout blow in the 93rd minute, racing onto João Pedro's through ball during a devastating counter-attack and slotting home with his right foot.
The teams shared possession almost equally at 46.2%-53.8%, but Chelsea's attacking intent proved decisive. Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato anchored the visitors' backline effectively, while Moises Caicedo controlled the midfield tempo despite picking up a yellow card before half-time. Trott produced four saves to keep Cardiff competitive, matching Filip Jörgensen's contribution at the other end. Joel Colwill and Calum Chambers battled tirelessly for the Bluebirds, with Chambers coming agonisingly close with a header in first-half stoppage time that Jörgensen saved brilliantly.
Chelsea's pressure yielded 8 corners as they dominated territorial advantage, with their 20 attempts dwarfing Cardiff's 10 shots. The visitors' clinical edge made the difference, converting three of their seven shots on target while Cardiff managed just one goal from four efforts. Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Gittens caused constant problems down the flanks before half-time substitutions brought João Pedro and Garnacho into the fray, transforming Chelsea's attacking potency.
The turning point arrived with those interval changes. Manager's tactical adjustments injected fresh impetus, with João Pedro's movement and Garnacho's directness overwhelming Cardiff's defence. When Turnbull's header briefly levelled proceedings, the momentum threatened to shift, but Neto's swift response extinguished Cardiff's hopes within seven minutes. The introduction of Malo Gusto and Trevoh Chalobah late on helped Chelsea manage the closing stages, though Benoît Badiashile required treatment for an injury in the dying moments.
Looking ahead, Chelsea host West Ham United on January 11 as they continue their cup campaign.