Chelsea booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after winning 3-1 at Cardiff City tonight.
They were made to work hard by the League One leaders, who matched them for long spells and threatened to force another uncomfortable night for manager Enzo Maresca.
Cardiff fed off the atmosphere and pressed aggressively, with Isaak Davies and Cian Ashford stretching Chelsea’s back line and forcing early defensive interventions.
Clear chances were limited in the first half, with Marc Guiu denied twice by goalkeeper Nathan Trott after a rare moment of quality from Moises Caicedo in midfield.
Maresca, unimpressed by his side’s lack of urgency, turned to his bench at the break and introduced Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Pedro.
The change brought greater purpose, and Chelsea began to apply sustained pressure.
The breakthrough arrived when Cardiff centre-back Dylan Lawlor misplaced a pass under pressure, allowing Facundo Buonanotte to surge forward and slide the ball to Garnacho.
The winger finished confidently into the far corner to give Chelsea the lead and quieten the home crowd.
Cardiff refused to fold and responded with renewed intensity, pushing higher up the pitch and committing numbers forward.
Their persistence was rewarded with 15 minutes remaining when Perry Ng delivered a precise cross, and David Turnbull powered a diving header past Filip Jorgensen.
The equaliser reignited the stadium and briefly raised the prospect of a famous upset.
Chelsea steadied themselves and regained the lead through another substitute.
Pedro moved the ball smartly into space for Pedro Neto, who drove a low diagonal shot beyond Trott to restore Chelsea’s advantage.
That goal drained the hosts’ belief and allowed Chelsea to manage the closing stages with greater control.
Garnacho struck again to seal the result in stoppage time, finishing clinically to underline the impact of Maresca’s substitutions.
The scoreline flattered Chelsea slightly, but their quality in decisive moments was the difference.
