Chelsea come from two goals down to hit Leeds for six in EFL Cup third-round thriller

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-xabi/hAcTWKKN/"]Xabi Alonso[/a]'s side were in danger of crashing out following [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muharemovic-tarik/O0Ss5jSf/"]Tarik Muharemovic[/a]'s first-half opener and a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aaronson-brendan/0GqS59FE/"]Brenden Aaronson[/a] goal soon after the interval at Stamford Bridge.[/p][p]But Alonso sent on England forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palmer-cole/h8agbDt7/"]Palmer[/a], along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rogers-morgan/lp4jm80n/"]Morgan Rogers[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/neto-pedro/lxtnUkIP/"]Pedro Neto[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-reece/nLBC7ERa/"]Reece James[/a], at half-time and the decision inspired [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a]'s stirring escape act.[/p][p]Palmer struck twice to haul Chelsea level and Neto put them ahead before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/welbeck-danny/86PvpO11/"]Welbeck[/a] made it four.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/calvert-lewin-dominic/0WmBe6U2/"]Dominic Calvert-Lewin[/a] got one back for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a], but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barco-valentin/MXX0tUs3/"]Valentin Barco[/a] and Welbeck netted to ensure Chelsea moved into the fourth round in style.[/p][p]Losing 2-1 at Premier League champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] on Sunday had ended Alonso's three-game winning start to his reign.[/p][p]But the Chelsea boss got back on track with the kind of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/leeds-tUxUbLR2/?mid=K2DLaNQF"]chaotic victory[/a] that has defined his brief spell in charge.[/p][embed guid="bc69e0ce-d224-4d72-8a69-a8663d5fc7d9" url="https://x.com/Carabao_Cup/status/2097795361284714846" social-type="twitter" /][p]Chelsea have scored 16 goals in Alonso's first five matches to showcase their attacking talent.[/p][p]But they have conceded 10 to prove the defensive issues that plagued them last season have not gone away since Alonso's arrival.[/p][p]Despite spending £349 million ($472 million) during the transfer window, Chelsea ended the Arsenal game with James and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gusto-malo/YNCrLSO2/"]Malo Gusto[/a] - two players who are usually right-backs -- operating in central midfield.[/p][p]Alonso fielded another untested alignment in the midfield engine room as teenage debut [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/watson-reggie/0QmckkEl/"]Reggie Watson[/a] lined up alongside Argentine youngster Barco.[/p][p]The 16-year-old Watson - the fourth youngest player in Chelsea's history - is the son of Ben Watson, who scored [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wigan/MgHlK2Na/"]Wigan[/a]'s FA Cup final winner against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] in 2013.[/p][p]Alonso's decision to make nine changes was in danger of backfiring when Leeds went in front from a 23rd-minute corner.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="f48cd003-af20-4776-8a85-d626d155643f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e8653d5f-118a-49e6-8dde-594ae42b4d15" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][h2]Chelsea goal spree[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wilson-harry/KWbu7UwK/"]Harry Wilson[/a]'s delivery to the far post caught Chelsea flat-footed and Bosnia defender Muharemovic powered a header past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/penders-mike/nyaJupUE/"]Mike Penders[/a] for his first Leeds goal.[/p][p]Leeds seemed unfazed by the introduction of Chelsea's stars at the interval and they struck again in the 48th minute.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ampadu-ethan/bH6VQUwF/"]Ethan Ampadu[/a]'s cross was flicked on by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nmecha-lukas/6D2Vm8M8/"]Lukas Nmecha[/a] and Aaronson finished with aplomb.[/p][p]But Chelsea earned a crucial lifeline five minutes later when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-daniel/UctCitdL/"]Daniel James[/a]'s soft challenge on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chavarria-pep/hGPnN7fG/"]Pep Chavarria[/a] was deemed worthy of a penalty that Palmer stroked home.[/p][p]Just two minutes later, Chelsea were level when Palmer's shot trickled past Leeds' debutant goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zetterer-michael/ATsadFmo/"]Michael Zetterer[/a].[/p][p]Suddenly, Chelsea were rampant and Neto curled their third goal beyond Zetterer from 20 yards in the 60th minute.[/p][p]Alonso's men made it four goals in the space of just 12 minutes as Welbeck turned and smashed a powerful strike past Zetterer's weak attempted save.[/p][image alt="Welbeck celebrates with James" id="9ea27309-0886-44ea-8f2f-31ee8833967c" credit-line="ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP" guid="427aa195-a782-4c9e-ad5e-5fd01a9763a6" original-width="3060" original-height="2040" /][p]Calvert-Lewin reduced the deficit in the 75th minute with a clinical finish from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okafor-noah/EDhpumvd/"]Noah Okafor[/a]'s pass.[/p][p]But Barco swept into the empty net after Zetterer made a hash of Rogers's cross in the 80th minute.[/p][p]And Welbeck rounded off the goal spree in stoppage time with a cushioned header from Barco's shot.[/p][p]League Cup holders Manchester City and Premier League champions Arsenal play their third-round ties next week against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norwich/Qo6off6p/"]Norwich[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ipswich/thqhB2MB/"]Ipswich[/a] respectively.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a], who host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a], who welcome [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] to Old Trafford, are also in action next week.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] and Bradford all advanced to the fourth round on Tuesday.[/p]