Leicester City vs. Chelsea: Score, Reaction from 2016 EFL Cup 3rd-Round Match

Cesc Fabregas scored twice in extra time as Chelsea came back from two goals down to knock 10-man Leicester City out of the EFL Cup third round following a 4-2 victory at the King Power Stadium.

Shinji Okazaki sent the Foxes into delirium with his first-half brace, but Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta scored either side of the interval to pull the Blues level before Marcin Wasilewski was sent off in the 88th minute.

Blues manager Antonio Conte drafted in a selection of fringe players for the east Midlands trip, including outcast midfielder Fabregas, Victor Moses and Pedro, as well as summer signings Michy Batshuayi and Marcos Alonso.

While some might debate just how seriously the Premier League’s elite treat the League Cup, Goal’s Nizaar Kinsella highlighted this as a very poignant result for some Blues players:

Remarkable stories from this match… Chalobah’s wait, Fabregas taking his chance and Moses coming out of the loan wilderness #Chelsea #CFC

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) September 20, 2016

It was the away side who started in the ascendancy on Tuesday evening, and five minutes was all Pedro needed to put the ball in the back of the net before being called back for offside.

The Spain winger could afford to be aggrieved by the decision, though, as replays suggested his run from the left flank before nudging the ball past Leicester stopper Ron-Robert Zieler had actually kept him on.

Okazaki didn’t have the same problem down the other end, however, and referee Robert Madley signalled for a goal despite Azpilicueta’s best attempt to keep his looping header out of the net.

Ahmed Musa’s cross from the right caused havoc in Chelsea’s box, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois couldn’t collect the bouncing ball Okazaki squeezed home, much to the applause of the Guardian’s Stuart James:

Such a clever header from Okazaki to put Leicester in front against Chelsea. Out the side recently but such a brilliant team player.

— Stuart James (@StuartJamesGNM) September 20, 2016

Chelsea built up their advantage in possession and even saw a greater amount of chances on goal, but the difference between the two sides came in finishing, of which there was none to speak of for the Blues.

Leicester proved far more clinical, and deja vu struck when Andy King’s chipped ball was chested down by Okazaki through on goal, and the Japan international made no mistake from the right of Courtois’ goal.

Again, the west Londoners were scrambling to clear the ball from their lines until the very last, but Okazaki had collected his second, and ESPN FC’s Liam Twomey helped explain where it was going wrong for Chelsea:

Chelsea have no midfield control in this 4-2-4 system. Matic nowhere, Alonso & Luiz both marking players as Okazaki runs through #cfc

— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) …

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