Chelsea cavalry complete remarkable rescue mission against stunned Leeds

Xabi Alonso needed the cavalry to stop Chelsea making a quick exit from the Carabao Cup and, boy, did they come up trumps for him.

Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto stepped off the substitutes bench to complete a stunning rescue mission. Palmer netted twice, Neto once and Rogers helped himself to four assists.

Leeds United will still be wondering what on earth happened in a crazy third-round tie in which they had been comfortable for just over half of it, having taken a 2-0 lead through Tarik Muharemovic and Brenden Aaronson.

Full match report to follow...

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Farke: ‘No one in stadium asked for penalty’

On the defeat by Chelsea, Farke said: “The referee had the idea to give a penalty. No one in the stadium was asking for it, no one of their players was asking for it, but he spotted a situation where he thought he would give a penalty.

“All of a sudden they scored the goal, then their players came into the game at half-time, the whole stadium after being relatively quiet for 60 minutes they of course were there then. The momentum was all of a sudden on their side. In football small situations can change the whole momentum of a game and this happened.” 

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More Palmer-Rogers interview chaos

"100% I meant it! " 😅

Morgan Rogers says he is really enjoying his football after he helped Chelsea beat Leeds 6-3 in the Carabao Cup! 🔵 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

Here’s a reminder of the assist in question. Did Rogers mean it? Let us know in the comments beneath this live blog...

TWO goals in TWO minutes for Cole Palmer and Chelsea are level! 🥶 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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Rogers bemoans Palmer’s ‘criminal’ man-of-the-match award

"Mate, I got four assists! "
"That is criminal! "

Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer arguing over the POTM award! 🤣 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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Palmer: ‘Alonso got a bit angry at half-time’

On the message from the manager at half-time, Palmer told Sky Sports: “Just up the intensity, play a bit more, become more alive because I think the first half was flat, everyone agreed in the changing room, so we stepped up.

Asked whether Alonso’s message was delivered calmly, he said: “At the start, but then he got a bit angry. But it was alright.”

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Coady: ‘Chelsea substitutes were electric’

On Chelsea’s half-time changes, Conor Coady said on Sky Sports: “I think the credit goes down to [Alonso]. He made a bit of a statement by doing that at half-time. Four subs is a lot to do at half-time but it was needed. Listen, we said about the first half that it was kind of like the players hadn’t played with each other, and then the big guns came on... They were electric at times.”

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Full-time: Chelsea 6 Leeds United 3

A crazy match which was decided by Chelsea’s superb substitutes. Alonso took action at half-time and was rewarded with six goals in a madcap second half. Palmer hauled Chelsea back into the game, Rogers collected a handful of assists and Neto scored the go-ahead goal. You wonder what this match will do for the likes of Estevao and Gittens, though.

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Goal! Welbeck applies finishing touch

Chelsea 6 Leeds United 3 (Welbeck) Pure reflexes from Welbeck, who diverts Barco’s wild effort beyond Zetterer.

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90+3min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Palmer has the hat-trick ball on his mind and attempts an audacious chip but just gets his angles wrong. Any guesses who laid on the chance? Rogers. Of course. 

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90+2min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Fans in the away end have resolved they have seen enough and are now heading towards the exits. Stach attempts to launch a counter but his raking cross-field ball is far too heavy. 

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90min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Rogers drifts out to the left and wins Chelsea a valuable corner. James walks over to take it to rapturous applause from supporters there.

Leeds look to break but Wilson mistimes his run and is caught offside.

There will be six minutes of time added on.

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89min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Chance! Okafor darts inside of Neto and spins in a teasing ball to the back post but neither Calvert-Lewin nor Tanaka are able to reach it.

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87min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Shouts for a Leeds penalty fail to pique the interest of referee Gillett. Gudmundsson was felled on the left of the box but the contact looked minimal.

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86min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

A tap on Barco’s head from Wilson provokes some histrionics from the Argentine but Jarred Gillett calms all parties down. 

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83min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Leeds are still pushing. Stach’s effort from eight yards out is closed down before Tanaka’s strike from the edge of the box is smothered by James. 

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82min: Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3

Alonso goes into the book, apparently for straying too far outside of his technical area. 

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Goal! Barco puts the game to bed

Chelsea 5 Leeds United 3 (Barco) Rogers lays on his fourth assist of the match, driving towards the byline before flashing a searching ball across the face of goal which Barco spears past Zetterer at the far post. That should be that, right?

Valentín Barco gets Chelsea a FIFTH! 🫨 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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78min: Chelsea 4 Leeds United 3

We could be in for a blockbuster finish.

Gudmundsson replaces debutant Bard down Leeds’ left.

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Goal! Leeds get one back

Chelsea 4 Leeds United 3 (Calvert-Lewin) Game back on? Okafor is afforded far too much space down the left by a tiring Chelsea back line and his cross finds Calvert-Lewin who plants the ball past Penders to reduce the deficit to just one goal. What a tie this has turned into! 

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73min: Chelsea 4 Leeds United 2

Leeds win a corner, which falls to Stach on the edge of the box but his effort is charged down. 

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69min: Chelsea 4 Leeds United 2

It will be a source of acute anguish for Farke that Chelsea’s fourth goal came before he could make his four changes: Stach, Calvert-Lewin, Tanaka and Okafor eventually replace James, Nmecha, Longstaff and Aaronson. Conversely, it should be to Alonso’s credit that he took action early - his substitutes have decided this tie.

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Goal! Welbeck gets in on the act

Chelsea 4 Leeds United 2 (Welbeck) Rogers gallops on to a simple ball down the right channel and his cutback (towards Palmer) is picked up by Welbeck who spins before firing beyond Zetterer, leaving three Leeds defenders sprawled in front of him. He cares not, and absorbs the love of the crowd in the near corner.

Class from Danny Welbeck 😤 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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62min: Chelsea 3 Leeds United 2

Palmer goes close after having found a yard of space on the edge of the box. His strike spears through a thicket of limbs in Leeds’ box but Zetterer pulls off a strong save to deny the Englishman a quickfire hat-trick. 

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Goal! Neto completes the comeback

Chelsea 3 Leeds United 2 (Neto) Just 11 minutes after going 2-0 down, Chelsea find themselves ahead. Palmer threads a through-ball through the middle for Rogers, who slides in front of his marker to an open Neto who sweeps the ball beyond Zetterer. Leeds punished for leaving themselves two vs two at the back there.

"This is a comeback of comebacks! "

Pedro Neto scores and Chelsea have turned it around eleven minutes after going 2-0 down! 🤯 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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58min: Chelsea 2 Leeds United 2

Chelsea have got their tails up and Palmer almost lays on a go-ahead goal but James cannot turn in his cross from the left. 

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Goal! Palmer levels the tie

Chelsea 2 Leeds United 2 (Palmer) Wow! Palmer has turned this game on its head. And it’s so, so simple. Acheampong’s throw-in is knocked down by Rogers into the path of Palmer who works in from the right, passing the ball around a Leeds defender and past a rooted Zetterer.

TWO goals in TWO minutes for Cole Palmer and Chelsea are level! 🥶 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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Goal! Palmer scores from the spot

Chelsea 1 Leeds United 2 (Palmer) Palmer makes no mistake. He goes right, and while Zetterer guesses the right way he cannot get there and Chelsea are back in business.

Cole Palmer pulls one back for Chelsea from the spot! 🎯 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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Penalty to Chelsea!

Chavarria is caught by James in the box and the referee points to the spot. That came from nowhere. 

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Goal! Aaronson doubles Leeds’ advantage

Chelsea 0 Leeds United 2 (Aaronson) Amapadu deserves so much credit here. He steals the ball from Barco high, bursts beyond Rogers on the right and while Nmecha cannot turn in his cutback, Aaronson arrives late to stroke the ball past Penders and double Leeds’ lead.

"Chelsea cut apart AGAIN ! "

Brenden Aaronson makes it 2-0 to Leeds 🔥 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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46min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Alonso resolves he has seen enough and rings the changes at the interval. Palmer, Rogers, James and Neto enter the fray in place of Estevao, Watson, Gittens and Gusto.

We are back under way.

Big cheers from the Chelsea fans at half-time, as Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Morgan Rogers and Reece James have all come on to warm up and are stripped off ready to play. Alonso is sending on the cavalry.

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Scores on the doors

The delayed kick-off has knocked us out of kilter with tonight’s Champions League matches, but here are the live scores:

Liverpool 2 Atletico Madrid 1
Paris St-Germain 4 Slovan 0
Napoli 0 Arsenal 0
Sporting CP 1 Galatasaray 1

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Boos at the Bridge

Boos at half-time from the Chelsea fans. Their team were pretty awful, but booing so early in the season. Really? 

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Half-time: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

There is only one minute of time added on and Watson earns himself a booking for a late challenge on Wilson before the half-time whistle is blown. It will be interesting to see how long Alonso waits before turning to his bench.

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45min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Justin, James and Wilson have got a lot of joy down Leeds’ right, rotating in Chavarria’s orbit. It has been difficult for Chelsea to pin them down and Gittens’ attacking threat has been blunted as he attempts to track their movements.

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42min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Better from Chelsea. Watson does well to regain possession high and Estevao takes over, darting towards the by-line. His cutback is directed towards Welbeck but he is beaten to the ball by a Leeds toe and it is played behind for a corner which comes to nothing. 

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39min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Chelsea are really struggling to build up a head of steam, with individual mistakes proving costly.

Gittens and Estevao both end up on the left and the former works infield before firing a shot at Zetterer which the German parries behind for a corner. Perhaps Chelsea’s most dangerous moment of the half.

The corner is played short with the ball eventually falling to Barco on the edge of the box but his mis-hit effort trickles wide. 

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35min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Gittens rescues an overhit Acheampong cross and finds Barco on the edge of the box, but the Argentine’s effort is charged down. Leeds spring a counter and their sweeping move up field earns them a corner.

Wilson floats another delivery to the back post to Muharemovic, but he cannot replicate his earlier goal.

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33min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Farke will be delighted with what he has seen so far. It is all well and good Chelsea allowing Leeds the ball, but they have to break incisively when openings arise, and they have not done that.

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30min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Big chance for Leeds! James bursts down the right and the Welsh winger dinks in a cross to the far post which Justin cannot get past Acheampong, but while Longstaff is first to the second ball, he can only sky the shot over the bar.

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28min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1

Leeds’ goal has stirred something inside them and they look motivated to score a second. Ampadu launches a long throw from the left which ricochets off a couple of players before rolling out for a Chelsea goal-kick.

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Goal! Muharemovic opens the scoring

Chelsea 0 Leeds United 1 (Muharemovic) Set-pieces have been a massive feature of Leeds’ game this season and here they take the lead with the simplest of corner routines. Wilson floats the ball to the back post where Muharemovic is waiting, unmarked, and he loops a header over Penders into the net. Such a shame for the Chelsea keeper as he had just pulled off a stunning double-save.

"The set-piece routine does it again! "

Tarik Muharemović puts Leeds in front against Chelsea! ⚡️ — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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20min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Barco slips on the far side and in doing so concedes a corner rather comically, to the delight of the travelling supporters. The delivery is met by Lacroix and Leeds are unable to create anything from the second phase of the set-piece. 

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17min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

There is an intriguing duel developing down Chelsea’s right as Bard looks to contain Estevao. The French wing-back has done a decent job so far.

Estevao attempts to free himself of Bard’s clutches and drifts inside, Chavarria then almost picks him out with a cross from the left but Leeds just about clear their lines. 

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15min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Justin plays in a cultured through-ball from a wide-right position to James but Chavarria does well to snuff it out. Leeds are making the pitch as big as possible and spaces are beginning to open up as they did at Fulham on the opening weekend.

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13min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Although Penders’ shot-stopping has not yet been tested, he has shown some nifty footwork, sweeping up any loose balls that make it past Chelsea’s back three/five. 

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10min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Big chance! Chelsea spring a surprise attack as Chavarria sets Gittens away down the left. He works the ball infield to Welbeck who lays on a great chance for Estevao but Justin darts back to take the ball off the Brazilian’s toes. A brilliant piece of last-ditch defending.

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8min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Gittens gets a shot away, a tame effort straight at Zetterer from 22 yards out as he cuts in from the left. The correct intent, though.

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7min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Leeds look to circulate the ball across their back line. As mentioned pre-match, Chelsea will not mind letting their opponents get on the ball as they set out-of-possession traps. Aaronson eventually dribbles off the pitch on the far side.

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5min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Chelsea’s Argentine midfielder, Valentin Barco, is being booed by the Leeds fans every time he touches the ball. Barco will already be used to getting that treatment, as it has even happened to him while he’s been a substitute this season.

In other news, there’s a real Borussia Dortmund vibe to this Leeds away kit.

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3min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

Leeds supporters boo Argentina World Cup squad member Barco’s every touch, and another Leeds foul, this time Justin on Gittens, prompts a second Chelsea free-kick.

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2min: Chelsea 0 Leeds United 0

A couple of early touches for Watson who plays a neat pass around the corner. Ampadu then lands a late tackle on Lacroix and Chelsea earn a free-kick in their own half. 

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Kick-off!

Although there are still some empty seats, we are finally under way. Chelsea in their customary all blue, kicking from right to left. Leeds in their yellow away strip. 

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The players are out!

Chelsea and Leeds emerge from the tunnel, led out by Colwill and former Chelsea defender Ampadu. Here’s a reminder of the teams in full:

Chelsea Penders; Gusto, Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill, Chavarria; Watson, Barco; Estevao, Gittens; Welbeck

Substitutes Martinez, Hato, Fofana, James, Neto, Palmer, Quenda, Rogers, Pedro

Leeds United Zetterer; Justin, Bijol, Muharemovic; James, Ampadu, Longstaff, Bard; Wilson, Aaronson; Nmecha

Substitutes Trafford, Gudmundsson, Elvedi, Bogle, Tanaka, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin, Bahoya

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Warm-ups done, kick-off imminent

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Farke previews tonight’s match

Daniel Farke believes Leeds can go far in the Carabao Cup this year 💪 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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Hasselbaink on Estevao

On the Brazilian winger’s opportunity tonight, Hasselbaink said on Sky Sports: “He has to find his place. This is his opportunity... It’s not really an out-and-out left-wing [position] or a No 10 as he can play, but [with] good players it doesn’t matter where you put them on the pitch. He will find his spaces and he will be direct as he was when he came in against Arsenal. He is going to play for his place because he wants to play week-in, week-out.”

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Alonso: ‘It’s a great day for Reggie Watson’

"He deserves to be there because of what he has shown"

Xabi Alonso speaks about Reggie Watson with the 16-year-old set to make his Chelsea debut in their Carabao Cup game against Leeds 🌟 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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Kick-off pushed back by 15 minutes

Tfl has closed South Kensington station after a “customer incident” meaning parts of the District Line have closed. The decision was then made to delay the match to give supporters more time to get to the stadium. 

Reggie Watson will become the fourth youngest player, aged 16, in Chelsea’s history. But he will have to wait a little bit longer for his debut as kick-off has been delayed by 15 minutes to 8.15pm.

There will be a 15 minute delay to kick-off for our Carabao Cup third round tie with Leeds United tonight.

The match will now begin at 20:15 BST. — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

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The Hasselbaink derby

A couple of cracking strikes from the Dutchman. Some player he was...

"Good old days! "

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink reflects on his goals for Leeds against Chelsea 🎞️ — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball)

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The two sides’ results so far

Chelsea
Aug 24: Fulham 2 Chelsea 3
Aug 27: Chelsea 2 Luton Town 0 (Carabao Cup)
Aug 30: Chelsea 4 Brighton 3
Sep 6: Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1

Leeds
Aug 22: Nottingham Forest 0 Leeds 1
Aug 25: Nottingham Forest 0 Leeds 2
Aug 30: Leeds 1 Brentford 1
Sep 5: Brighton 1 Leeds 1

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Player arrivals at Stamford Bridge

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Estevao will not become Chelsea’s forgotten man

As recently as March, a giant mural of Estêvão Willian appeared on the side of a building outside Stamford Bridge as the teenager threatened to become Chelsea’s number one poster boy.

He may no longer hold top billing outside the club, following a summer in which Chelsea spent a club-record £117m on Morgan Rogers to complete a fearsome front three alongside Cole Palmer and João Pedro.

A giant mural of the Brazilian teenager appeared on the side of a building close to Stamford Bridge in March.

But inside Stamford Bridge, nothing has changed. Estêvão remains one of Chelsea’s star boys and is part of an “untouchable” group of players that also includes Palmer, Rogers and Pedro. Sources believe Estêvão is a player the club will look at rewarding with an improved contract in the coming months.

Having already earned his Chelsea “untouchable” status, the next challenge for the 19-year-old winger – once nicknamed “Messinho” – is to make himself undroppable.

Estêvão may not be a perfect fit for Xabi Alonso’s three-at-the-back formation that features two 10s – Palmer and Rogers – behind a striker. But the boy from Brazil is certainly not being squeezed out and Chelsea’s manager has spoken of the need to be flexible.

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The teams in black and white

Chelsea Penders; Gusto, Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill, Chavarria; Watson, Barco; Estevao, Gittens; Welbeck

Substitutes Martinez, Hato, Fofana, James, Neto, Palmer, Quenda, Rogers, Pedro

Leeds United Zetterer; Justin, Bijol, Muharemovic; James, Ampadu, Longstaff, Bard; Wilson, Aaronson; Nmecha

Substitutes Trafford, Gudmundsson, Elvedi, Bogle, Tanaka, Stach, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin, Bahoya

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To me, to you...

Much has been made of Chelsea’s willingness to let the opposition have the ball under Xabi Alonso, but tonight they will likely be forced to dictate proceedings. In Leeds, they face one of only two sides who have completed fewer passes than them in the Premier League.

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Chelsea’s youngest players

1. Ian Hamilton in 1967: 16 years, four months and 15 days
2. Kingsley Whiffen in 1967: 16 years, five months and six days
3. Reggie Walsh in 2025: 16 years, six months and 11 days
4. Reggie Watson in 2026: 16 years, seven months and 14 days
5. Tommy Langley in 1974: 16 years, nine months and one day

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Farke: ‘We’ll try to win Carabao Cup – it’s the quickest way to Europe!’

Asked how he will approach the Carabao Cup this season, Daniel Farke said: “We’ll try to win it. That’s the quickest way to Europe and to some glory. Of course knowing that the Premier League will always have the priority and knowing that we are as successful as possible there, especially to reach our first goal to establish ourselves [at] this level.

“We are not the favourites to win the Carabao Cup, we know this. Challenging, difficult games, but of course we travel to London in order to go through in the next round without doing anything stupid at this stage of the campaign because you also have to rotate a bit more and integrate a few new players. Nevertheless, we want to be at our best and anyhow possible we also want to go through to the next round.” 

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Alonso: ‘I’m really impressed with Watson’

Tonight represents an opportunity for 16-year-old Reggie Watson to announce himself at senior level. The central-midfielder caught Alonso’s eye during pre-season when the Spaniard said of him: “Reggie Watson, a great midfielder. He thinks, he’s very collective, he’s very generous on the effort, intelligent with the ball”.

“For his age, I’m really impressed with him.”

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Leeds team news

Dan James passes a late fitness test to make Daniel Farke’s starting XI. 

📋 Tonight's Starting XI — Leeds United (@LUFC)

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Chelsea team news

Reggie Watson, 16, son of former Wigan midfielder Ben (of 2013 FA Cup final fame), makes his full Chelsea debut and becomes the club’s fourth youngest player. Estevao, Jamie Gittens and Danny Welbeck replace Alonso’s thrilling forward three, who are on the bench.

Chelsea XI Penders; Gusto, Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill, Chavarria; Watson, Barco; Estevao, Gittens; Welbeck

Your Blues to face Leeds United in the ! — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

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Chelsea face test against unbeaten Leeds

Good evening and welcome to live coverage of tonight’s Carabao Cup third-round tie between Chelsea and Leeds United. This is a rematch of  which Chelsea edged by a single Enzo Fernández goal, but plenty has changed since then. Xabi Alonso has taken over the reins at Stamford Bridge and made a promising start, reeling off three wins before losing to Arsenal in an absorbing contest last Sunday. Chelsea are not involved in European competition this season, so the domestic cups represent an avenue to silverware, as well as an opportunity to tinker. 

In Alonso’s way, though, stands a Leeds team whose manager, Daniel Farke, told the media on Tuesday that his side are aiming to win the Carabao Cup. Farke has overseen an impressive run of form, having lost only two of their previous 16 competitive matches in a stretch that extends back to March. Two wins at Nottingham Forest preceded draws against Brentford and Brighton to keep Leeds undefeated this term. Farke has suggested he will rotate in west London to “integrate new players” having brought in seven new recruits during the summer.

If Leeds are to reach the next round, they must reverse a heavily one-sided head-to-head record against their hosts, who have won each of their past 10 cup meetings (three in the League Cup, seven in the FA Cup). In fact, Chelsea have lost at this stage of the competition just once in the past 15 years, and that was against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City four seasons ago.

Alonso broke up the exhilarating “JP Morgan” band (João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers) for Chelsea’s victory over Luton Town in the previous round, handing starts to Danny Welbeck and Estêvão. Players such as Jamie Gittens and Geovany Quenda are also waiting in the wings and may get chances to impress tonight. Mike Penders could also be in line for a start between the sticks.

Kick-off is at 8pm.

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