The 2016-17 EFL Cup third round fixture between Premier League Champions Leicester City and Chelsea was the most notable one as side from London made a stunning comeback to outclass the Foxes. Cesc Fabregas, who is yet to start a Premier League game under new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, scored two goals in extra time to steer Chelsea through to the next round.
The Spaniard has surely given Conte something to think about for the upcoming games. Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta scored early in the second half to cancel Shinji Okazaki’s brace at the King Power stadium. The Blues put on a much better show in the second half, keeping much of the possession. But despite defender Martin Wasilewski being sent off in the 89th minute for a second yellow, the Foxes held out to take the game to extra time.
Here are the five talking points from the entertaining clash.
#1 Okazaki heroics not enough to save Leicester
It is an interesting fact that Japanese striker scored a brace without having found the back of the net all season for Leicester. Okazaki took the advantage of some terrible displays from the defenders, giving the Premier League champions a comfortable lead before half time.
But the second half soon turned in Chelsea’s favour, as the Blues dominated the Foxes, creating a number of goalscoring opportunities which weren’t capitalized particularly by Diego Costa. Leicester should have done well to keep Chelsea at bay with a two-goal lead but credit must be given to the Blues for fighting back.
#2 Azpilicueta scores a blinder
Caesar Azpilicueta scored a goal out of nowhere, to equalise for his side just after the half time break. Not only did his attempt find the back of the net, it gave Chelsea the confidence to get back into the game after a poor start.
Although the Spaniard could have done better to stop the cross that led to Okazaki’s opener, he made sure that he kept things tight at the back. Keeping the likes of Andre Gray and Ahmed Musa away from the Chelsea goal, Azpilicueta certainly is getting better under Conte.
#3 Another disappointing display from the Chelsea defenders
It was another night where Chelsea were certainly not up to their defensive best. Without key holding midfielder N’Golo Kante, Nemanja Matic’s swiftness and mobility weren’t enough to shield the defence. The Blues looked vulnerable in the first half letting Shinji Okazaki score a brace due to a lot of clumsiness.
Italian manager Antonio Conte, who prioritises his defence first, has already conceded in four out of five league games. The backline is still taking time to adapt to his ideologies, after conceding as much as 53 goals last season. David Luiz, who has been replacing the injured John Terry, needs to get rid of the errors once again if he were to make a name for himself at the Stamford Bridge.
The Blues face Arsenal and Manchester United in their next three league games as Conte needs to bring solidity into his side.
#4 Will Pedro continue to get enough game time at Stamford Bridge?
Pedro Rodriguez put up a decent showing at the King Power Stadium as he created a couple of chances along with getting the better of Danny Simpson on many occasions. But with the Italian boss already seeming to have decided on his starting XI, it is high time for the Spaniard to consider his future at the Blues.
Pedro endured a disastrous campaign last season as he didn’t make the first team quite often under Jose Mourinho. Though his performances improved under Guus Hiddink towards the end of the season, the La Masia star hasn’t reproduced the quality he had displayed for so many years playing for Barcelona. There have been multiple reports linking him with a move to the Nou Camp after already having conducted talks with Barcelona’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu.
#5 Fabregas makes most of opportunity
Despite being out of favour under new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, Cesc Fabregas is making the most out of his opportunity in a Chelsea shirt. Making a fresh start in the match the Spaniard was good with the ball, as he kept initiating attacks for the Blues.
The midfielder played an active part in Chelsea’s first two goals, delivering from a corner which was headed by Gary Cahill and also guiding a cross to countryman Caesar Azpilicueta that led to the Blues equalising just after half time. And that was not done for the former Barcelona player, as he scored two goals to steer Chelsea through to the next round.
Conte has a huge selection headache after Fabregas’ noteworthy if he were to feature him against rivals Arsenal at the weekend.
