This evening Chelsea eased past Everton in the Carabao Cup, when they beat them 2-1 with goals from Antonio Rudiger in the first half and an injury time goal from William.Everton pulled a very late goal back as the Blues relaxed thinking their work for the evening was over.
Overall the performance from Antonio Conte`s rotated squad was not great, however neither was that of the Merseysiders. Conte pulled a rabbit out of the hat by announcing Danny Drinkwater in the starting XI. Earlier in the week he`d suggested the ex- Leicester City midfielder would still not be ready for his debut.
Alongside him was Ethan Ampadu making his first start following his arrival from Exeter City in the summer. Fellow development players Kenedy and Charly Musonda Jr also made starts.
Despite the lethargy of the evening’s proceedings, it was noticeable Antonio Conte was trying a different tactic opting for a more direct long ball approach. Maybe he was hoping Michy Batshuayi would make a good target man. Unfortunately he appeared to be unable to judge the flight of the ball, invariably ending up, watching the ball float over his head, to be gobbled up by an Everton defender.
Drinkwater`s debut could best be described as workmanlike. That’s not to denigrate him, he did what was needed and he did it without fuss. Having been sidelined since his arrival in the summer, to get game time would have been such a relief. Let’s hope he’s now able to build on it as he progresses his Chelsea career.
The Carabao Cup is viewed as a minor competition that is a major inconvenience. But it’s still good to get the right result and progress. Chelsea went through and Everton just went home. The draw for the next round, the quarter finals, is tomorrow.
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