Chelsea are through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, but they were forced to come from behind to avoid a major upset against a spirited Lincoln City side at a hostile LNER Stadium. The League One hosts took a shock, but deserved, halftime lead before two goals in three minutes from youngsters Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte turned the tie on its head after the break.
The 2-1 victory provides a much-needed return to winning ways for Enzo Maresca’s side, who were winless in their previous three matches, but it came in a much more difficult fashion than many would have anticipated for the five-time winners of the competition.
Lincoln’s fearless first half
Backed by a vocal home crowd, Lincoln City were determined to cause problems for their illustrious visitors from the first whistle. They set the tone immediately, hitting the post in the opening minutes and preventing the Blues from settling into any rhythm with their relentless pressing and physicality. Their hard work paid off in the 43rd minute when forward Rob Street capitalized on a defensive lapse to roll the ball into the bottom corner, sending the stadium into raptures.
A stunning three-minute turnaround
The Blues emerged for the second half with a renewed determination and it did not take long for them to turn the match completely on its head. Just two minutes after the restart, teenager Tyrique George emphatically pulled his side level, unleashing a fierce half-volley from outside the box that rocketed in off the inside of the post.
Just two minutes later, Chelsea had taken the lead. This time it was the work of Facundo Buonanotte on just his second start for the club. The Argentinian weaved a path through a crowd of defenders before calmly rolling the ball past the goalkeeper for his first goal in a Chelsea shirt. Those two quickfire goals took the fight out of the hosts, and the Blues were able to see out the rest of the game with relative comfort.
While the victory was ultimately expected, the manner of it provided both concern and encouragement for Enzo Maresca. The first-half performance highlighted a vulnerability to high-intensity opponents, but the second-half response showcased the game-changing quality of his young talents.