Blues blow Barrow boys apart in 5-0 thrashing in Carabao Cup at Stamford Bridge
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 5 v Barrow 0
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Chelsea's second string obliterated League two table-toppers Barrow to reach the 4th round of the Carabao Cup.
Their large score thrashing was expected, but it was much easier than that.
It was a complete team change from the 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday suggesting the players wanted to show head coach Enzo Maresca what they were all about.
Ben Chilwell got his first minutes in competitive football this season.
Unwanted by Chelsea but also by any prospective buyer, the Champions League winner got 45 second half minutes.
Barrow made an excellent start – with the Blues looking like a bunch of players who didn't quite know what was expected of them.
But individual class was always going to trump a solid team ethic and the Blues proved that on nine minutes.
Renato Da Palma Veiga in midfield tapped the ball to Joao Felix, and the Portugal star, lofted a lovely ball over the Barrow defence where Christopher Nkunku raced on to and caressed the ball past Paul Farman to put thee Blues 1-0 up.
He was up to his tricks again on 16 minutes, this time a deft back-heel from a Malo Gusto right by line pass zipped past Farman to make it number two to the boys from SW6.
Felix got in on the act and it was another piece of class on 28 minutes when he took a free kick just outside the Barrow penalty area.
Referee Oliver Langford had to sort out a bit of argy-bargy between Neto and a defender and it delayed what should have been a straightforward kick.
Felix eventually produced a curling right-footer that smacked off Farman's right post, bounced out before smacking into his back and the ball went over the line for an own-goal.
Ben Chilwell came on as a second half substitute for Malo Gusto.
Number four was soon in the back of the net, three minutes into the restart in fact when Neto slotted home from close range after a quick counter-attack.
Axel Disasi forced a great save from Farman on 56 minutes as Chelsea were running riot.
Maresca made two more substitutions – on came Joshua Acheampong and Tyrique George – off went Neto and Disasi.
George's first touch should have yielded a goal, but the youngster screwed his right-footer wide on 72 minutes.
Instead it was Nkunku who got his hat-trick on 75 minutes. He outfought Farman for the ball and slotted home into the empty net.
Seconds later he was taken off and Marc Guiu replacing him.
Carney Chukwuemeka took Felix's place.
And that was really as good as it got.
Teams: Chelsea, Jorgensen, Disasi, Badiashile, Neto, Mudryk, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Gusto, Casadei, Veiga
Subs: Bettinelli, Colwill, Enzo, Chukwuemeka, Chilwell, George, Acheampong, Washington, Guiu
Barrow: Farman, Campbell, Spence, garner, Newby, Stoles, Foley, Acquah, Feely, Jackson, Vassell
Subs Eccleston, Canavan, Worrall, Dallas, Kouyate, Telford, Stanway, Tiensia, Weston
Referee: Oliver Langford
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