The EFL Cup clash between Chelsea and Cardiff City got off to a dull and tense start, with the Championship side showing signs of unsettling the heavily rotated Chelsea team.
Cardiff’s Calum Chambers received the second yellow card of the match after Isaak Davies was booked in the 16th minute, highlighting the physical nature of the early exchanges. Despite Chelsea’s dominance on paper, Cardiff looked more composed in spells and posed occasional threats.
SoftFootball believes Chelsea’s sluggish start is largely due to the 11 changes made to the starting lineup, which have left the Blues’ attack looking blunt and disjointed. Although head coach Enzo Maresca had earlier defended the rotation policy, citing the need for player recovery amid a congested schedule, the lack of cohesion was evident.
Defender Benoît Badiashile endured a shaky spell, losing possession in dangerous areas, particularly between the 40th and 45th minutes. Moisés Caicedo was also shown a yellow card for a poorly timed challenge that drew criticism from commentators, while Jorrel Hato was booked as well.
Chelsea shared on X, admitting there is no goal’s at the moment, see the post below;
Chelsea’s goalkeeper, however, stood firm and was instrumental in repelling several Cardiff attacks, preventing the Blues from falling behind.
As earlier predicted by Softfootball, the match is not unfolding according to Chelsea’s plan. With the game finely balanced, Maresca may be forced to introduce senior reinforcements such as Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, or Reece James to tilt the contest in Chelsea’s favor.
