Chelsea player ratings vs Cardiff City: Substitutes impactful after dull first half

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·16 de diciembre de 2025

Chelsea player ratings vs Cardiff City: Substitutes impactful after dull first half

Chelsea secured a 3-1 win over Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, with Alejandro Garnacho delivering an outstanding performance as a substitute.

Maresca made a bold decision by changing the entire Chelsea starting 11 to face Cardiff, but it ended well despite not being as smooth as expected.

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The lack of experience in this rotated Chelsea side was very obvious in the first half, as they conceded a few dangerous shots.

It ended goalless at the break, although unfortunately, Moises Caicedo was shown a yellow card in the first half, which means he will be suspended for the semi-finals.

Having seen his team struggle to break through in the first half, Maresca made a quick decision and deployed both Joao Pedro and Alejandro Garnacho to replace teenage duo Marc Guiu and Tyrique George.

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It proved crucial, as it was Garnacho who opened the scoring in the 57th minute.

Facundo Buonanotte took advantage of an error from the hosts and found the Argentine international open in the box.

It looked like it was going to be a long night when David Turnbull levelled the score with a diving header in the 75th minute, but Chelsea quickly took back the lead through Pedro Neto's precise strike into the bottom corner.

Garnacho eventually put the game to bed in the stoppage time, grabbing a brace.

Caicedo looked sharp despite his recent suspension and was arguably the best player on the pitch outside the goalscorers.

It is also great to see both Garnacho and Pedro Neto continue their fine form, and that Chelsea secured the expected win while resting several key players such as Reece James and Enzo Fernandez.