Chelsea edge Bolton, Manchester City blast Sheffield Wednesday in League Cup
The big teams all advanced to the next phase on the second day of third round League Cup action on Wednesday, as Chelsea beat Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City dispatched Sheffield Wednesday. Neither team did so as easily as they would have expected through half-time, though.
Chelsea tormented their Championship opponents from the first whistle, putting them under immense pressure. Underscoring the Premier League leaders’ absurd depth, a team made up entirely of first team reserves totally dominated Bolton. Andre Schurrle’s free kick almost floated into the far top corner in just the fourth minute. In the next, Mohamed Salah set the German up with a nice play, but his header was saved off the line by Trotters captain Matt Mills.
With Bolton totally pinned back, it would still take Chelsea a while longer to finally convert their advantage into a lead. Schurrle saw goalkeeper Andy Lonergan push his free kick off the cross bar and Loic Remy headed a clear chance well wide. Then, at length, the debutant 19-year-old central defender Kurt Zouma swept the ball home from up close after a corner wasn’t cleared properly.
Yet in spite of outshooting their opponents 19-1 in the first half, Chelsea would have to settle for a 1-1 tie going into half-time. In the 31st minute, Mills rose highest for a header off a wide free kick and deftly deposited it behind Petr Cech off the post.
The Blues bagged the win in the 56th minute, when Oscar was allowed to pick up a loose ball a little ways outside of Bolton’s box. He was granted all the time in the world to turn at goal, size up his target and whip in a low shot to the near post. It would end 2-1, in spite of a laudable late offensive by Bolton.
The defending champions Manchester City had a far more convincing result, dispatching Sheffield Wednesday 7-0 at home. That outcome wasn’t quite so easily secured as the score suggested though, as the Citizens produced just one chance of note in the first half, which ended scoreless. In the 20th minute, Eliaquim Mangala volleyed off the post from a corner, having lost his marker. Gary Madine had equally had a chance for Wednesday though, and they were not overrun then.
They were in the second half, however. Chelsea-transplant and New York City FC-loanee Frank Lampard got the first goal, which would prove to be the winner. Yaya Toure and James Milner set him up in the box, leaving the veteran to poke the ball in.
Soon enough, Edin Dzeko, assisted by Jesus Navas, doubled the score. After that, the Spaniard lashed a shot into the top corner from an acute angle himself, to make it 3-0. As if the game weren’t out of reach already, Kamil Zayatte was harshly sent off for Wednesday, after Lampard tumbled over his planted foot in the penalty area. Toure converted the spot kick to make it four.
Milner then hit the post. So Dzeko headed in the 5-0 a little later instead, on the pinpoint cross from Aleksandar Kolarov. Jose Angel Pozo, the reserve-team player, got to make it six, and Lampard finished the job he had himself begun with the seventh and final goal.
Tottenham Hotspur got a scare from Nottingham Forest. Jorge Grant, making his first appearance for Forest, put the Championship side ahead after an hour. Ryan Mason, Roberto Soldado and Harry Kane would eventually set things right for the Spurs though, giving their side a 3-1 win. Mason’s top-corner effort stood out in particular.
As you would expect, fourth-tier Burton Albion – one of just a pair of League 2 teams still alive – were bounced from the tournament by Brighton & Hove Albion. At 3-0, the score remained respectable though, as the Seagulls refused to commit Albionicide.
In a pair of Premier League matchups, comebacks were all the rage. West Bromwich Albion went ahead over Hull City early through Ideye Brown. Thomas Ince and Robert Brady goals wrapped just around half-time put Hull up though. Only to see West Brom come back around dramatically with an 87th minute Gareth McAuley equalizer and an 88th minute Saido Berahino winner to make it 3-2.
Newcastle United's win over Crystal Palace was even more dramatic. The Magpies, badly in need for something to go right in their lives, won out 3-2 in the end. Dwight Gayle put Palace ahead on a penalty, but Emmanuel Riviere scored once to equalize and once more, on a penalty, to put the home team ahead. Sullay Kai-Kai bagged an improbably late equalizer though, sending the game to extra time. Palace had the best chances, but saw one goal disallowed and another denied by a fine save. Paul Dummett’s header did go in though, for the 112th-minute winner.
