Chelsea secured a 2-1 win against Cardiff City, advancing to the EFL Cup semi-finals. Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto came off the bench to make a significant impact. Enzo Maresca rotated his squad entirely after their recent victory over Everton, which initially left Chelsea struggling to establish control. Benoit Badiashile had an early opportunity but shot over the bar.
Cardiff's Isaak Davies posed a threat with a cross that narrowly missed after Moises Caicedo's deflection. Despite Cardiff's pressure, they couldn't score. Maresca introduced Joao Pedro and Garnacho at halftime, shifting the momentum towards Chelsea. Garnacho's initial attempt was saved by Nathan Trott, but he scored in the 57th minute after Dylan Lawlor's error allowed Facundo
Buonanotte to assist him.
Chelsea failed to extend their lead, allowing Cardiff to equalise through David Turnbull's header from Perry Ng's delivery in the 75th minute. However, eight minutes later, Neto restored Chelsea's advantage with a low shot into the bottom-left corner. Turnbull nearly equalised again, but his effort landed on the net's roof before Garnacho sealed the win in stoppage time with another precise shot.
Carabao Cup semi-finalists! pic.twitter.com/YgiVGaUCoj Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 16, 2025
Despite making 11 changes, Chelsea fielded a strong team. The first half saw little difference between the sides, with Chelsea having an expected goals (xG) of 0.28 compared to Cardiff’s 0.21. Overall, Maresca’s team finished with an xG of 2.57 from 18 attempts. The substitutes were crucial; Garnacho led with five shots while Joao Pedro had four, surpassing any starter’s two attempts.
Chelsea has now advanced from their last six EFL Cup quarter-finals and maintained their winning streak against Cardiff across all competitions.
