Not Too Xabi - Alonso Makes Chelsea Fun Again in Batshit Cup Win Over Leeds

Blues Blitz Leeds in Second Half Rout as Palmer and Rogers Take Centre Stage

Cup football - there’s nothing quite like it, eh? Though the energy drink trophy may not have the same stardust as the steroid FA Cup, there is no shortage of cup tie magic when two teams go for it.

Chelsea and Leeds United put on an absolute clinic in how a winner takes all football match should be played last night in one of the craziest Carabao Cup ties in recent memory. It wasn’t as if there was any silverware on the line either - it’s only round 3!

Truly a game of two halves, it was the sort of game no-one could have foreseen. Daniel Farke’s men seemed to be waltzing into the fourth round of the cup, but Xabi Alonso, and the introduction of his avengers, tapped into the Bayer Never-losen gene that saw him become one of the most coveted coaches in Europe.

While the more resembled a basketball game that a football match, it made for an absolutely thrilling spectacle, and for Chelsea, it further signals that under their new Spanish manager, things are looking up.

B-Team Bafflement

The first half was, from a Chelsea point of view, absolutely disgraceful. Having looked fluid and dangerous in their opening three league games of the season, the heavily rotated XI, which featured nine changes, looked completely off the pace - it was almost as if the rotation players had not yet brought into what Alonso is trying to do at Stamford Bridge.

Jamie Gittins saw a long range effort easily saved by Zetterer in the Leeds goal, and that was pretty much it - there was literally no other goal threat, and most of the play happened in the Chelsea half of the pitch.

16-year-old Reggie Watson, thrown in at the deep end against Premier League opposition, looked out of his depth, Willian Estevao did bugger all on what was an unusual off day for the Brazilian, and Malo Gusto - where do I even start? The somehow-valued £60 million Frenchman misplaced the most passes of anyone in the first half (9), and failed to register a single tackle or long ball from his inverted central role.

No Chelsea player misplaced more passes (9) than Malo Gusto inside the first 45 minutes against Leeds. He also failed to register a successful long ball or tackle inside that half too.

(@MozoFootball) #CFC pic.twitter.com/8s4kwDZi9c

— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) September 9, 2026

Leeds, who had looked dangerous from set pieces throughout the first half, forced young Belgian Mike Penders into an astonishing double save, and while the keeper was hero of the moment, he could do little two minutes later as Tarik Muharemovic nodded in his first Leeds goal from the resulting corner.

It could have been more, and Leeds would have been kicking themselves for not being two up at the break. Meanwhile, would have simply been kicking themselves up the backside - it was a first half performance they should never have produced, especially at Stamford Bridge.

Super Subs

Probably fearing for the security of his job given the history of Chelsea managers over the last two decades, Alonso called out the big guns. Palmer, Rogers, Neto and James all came in, with Watson, Gittens, Gusto and, shockingly, Estevao all hooked after 45 minutes. Clearly, the Spaniard wasn’t just thinking about damage limitation.

So he would have been tearing his hair out when, just 3 minutes into the second period, a giveaway by the constantly booed Valentin Barco in midfield led to a smart Lukas Nmecha flick and unyielding Brendan Aaronsen finish to double the White’s lead. For all of Chelsea’ attacking brilliance, the defence resembled a limp bit of Swiss cheese - holes everywhere.

The things shifted - Pep Chavarria, desperately chasing a ball that seemed lost, managed to get a cut back away just before he met Harry Wilson, who lazily stepped on his toe. It was soft, but the spot-kick was given, and you just knew Cole Palmer wasn’t going to make a mistake. Game on.

129 seconds later, the scores were tied, and in brilliant fashion. Latching onto a Morgan Rogers flick, Palmer, using the defender between the goalkeeper and himself, bent a delicious effort, moving at the speed of a casual pass, into the far bottom corner, leaving Zetterer looking like a total amateur.

It was the sort of finish we came to expect from Palmer in his first season at Stamford Bridge, the return of such coolness and composure could only spell bad news for Leeds.

Cole Palmer makes football simple man.

How can you score in such space? pic.twitter.com/PFhCCPaHwF

— 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐨 (@Varticoo) September 10, 2026

Chelsea completed the turnaround just five minutes later - Palmer threaded the ball through to Rogers, who just got a toe to the ball ahead of the centre back, teeing it up perfectly for Pedro Neto who, like Palmer, bent it clinically into the far corner, kissing the post before going in. Seven minutes, three goals, and Chelsea were finally in the driving seat, albeit by sacrificing precious resting minutes for their main men.

But if fans thought the scoring was done, they’d have to think again. Five minutes after Neto found the corner, Rogers whipped in a teasing low cross that seemed to be heading straight to the feet of Palmer, who was pursuing a hat-trick. Instead, summer signing Danny Welbeck took an intelligent touch back in the opposite direction, sat down three defenders, and sent a fizzing effort past the helpless Zetterer. 4-2 Chelsea, 3 assists for Rogers, and it was turning into a cricket score.

Daniel Farke, making changes 4 goals too late, brought in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ao Tanaka, Noah Okafor and Anton Stach in a bid to stem the flow, and suddenly Leeds looked lively again, with Calvert-Lewin pulling one back with a crisp first time finish after some lax defending by Maxence Lacroix.

Chelsea though, were not going to allow Leeds a doggy life. Five minutes after Leeds reduced the deficit to one, Chelsea restored the two goal cushion - Morgan Rogers, popping up all over the pitch, whipped another low cross into the box which the Leeds keeper got the faintest touch on, robbing the Englishman of the assist.

Valentin Barco waited at the far post, stepped into it, and thumped the ball into the near corner for his first goal in Chelsea blue, leaving those who had booed him all night for his World Cup antics with egg on their faces.

The game slowed, with Leeds finally accepting defeat, but in overtime, the Blues were looking for a spectacular sixth, and the got it with two minutes remaining, as Barco’s horrendously miscued attempt fizzed towards Welbeck, who instinctively re-directed the ball into corner, leaving Zetterer stranded once again.

Class from Danny Welbeck 😤 pic.twitter.com/FUFKxlzXDz

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 9, 2026

It was a bizarre match - Leeds dominated the first period, Chelsea scored six goals in 43 minutes in the second, and no one could really make sense of it.

Morgan Rogers could feasibly have claimed four assists, Welbeck equalled Liam Delap’s goal tally for Chelsea in just three games, and both coaches were left very much in disbelief - neither of them had intended to coach a game like this.

Pros and Cons

The Chelsea attack looks absolutely mint - Palmer and Rogers are always looking to find each other, and given that they both played in the Man City academy together, becoming best mates in the process, their chemistry is unsurprisingly magnetic.

With Neto marauding down the right and Chavarria impressing with a solid shift on the left, going forward is not the issue - it’s when they don’t have the ball that the problems surface.

"Mate, I got four assists!"
"That is criminal!"

Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer arguing over the POTM award! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/X2PkPnSGDk

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 9, 2026

The starting back three of Acheampong, Lacroix and Colwill is a highly-rated one, but the latter two in particular looked completely at sea with the three at the back set-up being asked of them, and even with the introduction of Fofana late in the game, they still looked capable of making a costly error.

Penders in goal can’t really be criticised - there was little he could do about all three goals, and his double save in the first half really is worth watching back.

Gusto was shocking - a player that drew the attention of Manchester City during the summer transfer window, there was absolutely no sign of the world class talent he was tipped to be a few years back. Casual, careless and completely ineffective, he won’t have done himself any favours with the way he played last night.

Chelsea need Moises Caicedo back ASAP - Barco and James did a solid job of controlling the midfield in the second half, but without their tough-tackling enforcer, the Blues will seriously struggle against bigger opposition, and even the Ecuadorian’s presence won’t complete disguise the shortcomings of their defence.

However, after years of missed chances and wayward finishes from the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Timo Werner and Alvaro Morata, Chelsea fans will at least be over the moon with their new look attack. Chelsea netted six in a game against Premier League opposition for the first time since August 2024, and that was without star striker Joao Pedro even taking to the pitch!

There are plenty of early flaws in Xabi Alonso’s system, but as long as they can outscore their opponents, Chelsea are the ones to watch this season. The Spaniard has brought excitement back to Stamford Bridge again - here’s to hoping that most of the excitement stays one end of the pitch…