Enzo Maresca made 11 changes to his Chelsea line-up for the visit of Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round, but a fine start to the Italian's Stamford Bridge tenure was never at risk of being derailed as Christopher Nkunku’s hat-trick secured a 5-0 romp over the League Two side.
The Blues were three goals up and out of sight inside half an hour with Joao Felix the ring leader in an overwhelming first-half attacking display, the forward who played 44 times last season for Barcelona making featherlight work of a team who were in the National League as recently as four years ago.
The Portugal international had a crucial hand in his side’s third goal, his free-kick striking the post and going in off Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman, that after Nkunku had scored twice in the first 18 minutes.
Nkunku went on to complete his first Chelsea hat-trick in the second half with his side’s fifth goal. Before that, Pedro Neto had registered another first, opening his Blues account with a tap-in from Mykhailo Mudryk’s square pass.
The game was also notable for the return of Ben Chilwell, on as a half-time substitute to a raucous welcome from home fans five weeks after being told by Maresca he had no future at the club.
The goals began flowing after eight minutes. Renato Veiga played a pass centrally to Felix who took a touch to evade the outstretched leg of Dean Campbell and hoisted a devilish lob forward for the run of Nkunku, the forward capitalising on his first start in four games with a shot that squeezed through the hands of Farman.
His second to make it 2-0 after 15 minutes was sublime. Neto’s back heel for Malo Gusto was cheeky, the right-back’s cross pinpoint and in at the near post stole Nkunku with an impudent flick across goal into the corner.
Chelsea by now were rampant and Felix was next to seek to get in on the act. It looked at first as though his sweetly struck free-kick had curled over the Barrow wall and bounced in off the post. Closer inspection revealed the ball had ricocheted back against the unfortunate Farman for an own goal.
Maresca’s side scored their fourth two minutes after the restart. Barrow were careless with possession in midfield allowing Nkunku to nip onto a loose ball and drive forward. He fed Mudryk advancing outside him and from there it was a simple task to find Neto for a tap-in at the far post.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was denied his first Chelsea goal by a smart save from Farman, flinging himself low to his right to turn away the midfielder’s rasping drive.
At the other end Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen got down well to prevent Kian Spence’s whipped free-kick from squeaking inside the post.
Barrow’s hopes of a giant-killing were long extinguished, but there was almost a fairytale of a different kind when 18-year-old substitute Tyrique George had a golden chance to open his Chelsea account, skewing his shot awkwardly wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Nkunku finally completed his treble moments later, Farman dribbling himself into a mess and gifting the ball to the France international who rolled in Chelsea’s fifth.
Manchester City survived a late scare to get back to winning ways after Sunday's draining draw against Arsenal with a defeat of a Watford side featuring Republic of Ireland international Festy Ebosele, who is on loan from Udinese, while Ireland underage international Rocco Vata came off the bench for the Hornets to figure in the second half.
First-half goals from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes ultimately proved enough for a much-changed City side to reach the fourth round at the expense of their Championship opponents at the Etihad Stadium.
Watford goalkeeper Jonathan Bond prevented the scoreline becoming a rout with several saves in the second half while Savinho hit the post, but the visitors gained late hope with a fine Tom Ince strike.
Yet, after plenty of last-gasp drama at the weekend, there was to be no nail-biting finish as Pep Guardiola’s side saw out time.
Doku and Kyle Walker were the only starters retained by Guardiola following the Gunners humdinger, though such are his resources that Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and John Stones were among those incoming.
Sixteen-year-old Kaden Braithwaite was handed a debut and there were also chances for fellow teenager Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee, who impressed on loan at Sheffield United last season.
Watford boss Tom Cleverly also made nine changes, perhaps indicating where the game stood in his priorities, and City soon took control.
McAtee might have scored when he miskicked in front of goal in the first minute but he soon made amends when he set up Doku’s fifth-minute opener by seizing on a poor back-pass by Ryan Porteous.
McAtee nipped in front of Bond and the ball was quickly worked, via Grealish, to Doku, who finished tidily after a neat turn.
Kwadwo Baah thought he had equalised after brushing past Braithwaite to fire home but was penalised for a foul on the youngster.
Foden struck a free-kick into the wall before Nunes doubled the lead seven minutes before the break.
Watford were unable to contain some slick City passing and the Portuguese made space for himself to score from the edge of the area.
The visitors should have pulled one back when Vakoun Bayo planted a header wide from a Yasser Larouci cross and Imran Louza dragged a shot wide after the hour.
Yet City were otherwise in control and Nunes forced a good save from Bond before Ince headed off the line from substitute Savinho.
Bond then denied Nunes and Foden in quick succession, Savinho struck the woodwork and Grealish was also thwarted by the keeper.
City could have been made to pay for those misses after Ince curled in a superb effort four minutes from time but it proved only a consolation.
Emiliano Buendia scored his first goal since March 2023 and Jhon Duran grabbed his fifth of the season as Aston Villa reached the fourth round after a win at Wycombe.
Winger Buendia, who missed the whole of last season through injury, headed the opener before Duran tucked away a late penalty to see off League One Wanderers, who hit a late consolation through Richard Kone.
Villa may be facing mighty Bayern Munich in the Champions League next week, but first was a tricky trip to leafy Buckinghamshire to face a side renowned for their cup exploits, including a semi-final appearance in this competition back in 2007.
Their manager, Matt Bloomfield, played in that two-legged meeting with Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, with Wanderers drawing the home leg before going down 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Nevertheless, Villa boss Unai Emery made 10 changes from the side which started the 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday, with midfielder Amadou Onana the only survivor.
Duran, who has scored in four of his five substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, almost marked his first start of the campaign with a goal inside the opening 60 seconds. The Colombian raced on to a perfectly-weighted pass from Leon Bailey only to sidefoot his shot wide.
Wanderers looked sprightly in attack as well in the opening stages, and Beryly Lubala and Kieran Sadlier brought early saves out of Villa’s debutant keeper Joe Gauci.
Another player making his first Villa appearance, 18-year-old winger Kadan Young, was out to make an impression and one lightning dart down the left brought a decent save from Wycombe keeper Franco Ravizzoli.
Ross Barkley, the oldest player in Villa’s youthful starting line-up by three years, was prompting and probing in midfield and almost teed up Kosta Nedeljkovic but the Serbian youngster, making his full debut, shot straight at Ravizzoli.
Duran then launched a shot high into the terraced stand behind Ravizzoli’s goal as Wanderers made it to half-time unscathed.
However, they were breached 10 minutes into the second half when Young, urged on by Emery in front of the dug-out, beat his man to reach the byline. Young’s cross was deflected into the air and Buendia managed to adjust his body and guide a looping header over Ravizzoli and into the far corner.
It was one year, six months and six days since his last Villa goal and the Argentinian was congratulated by all his delighted team-mates.
Wycombe came close to an equaliser when a header from Garath McCleary was superbly tipped away by Gauci.
But Villa doubled their lead when Declan Skura bundled over Duran and the striker tucked away the penalty with five minutes remaining.
It was just as well for the Premier League side after Kone broke clear in stoppage time to pull one back with the last kick of the match.
Danny Ward saved three penalties in a shootout to help Leicester avoid a Carabao Cup upset against Walsall at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
The Saddlers had won all six of their home matches this season and Premier League opposition did not phase them in the first period as they had the best chance through Charlie Lakin.
Albert Adomah missed a great chance to put Walsall ahead on his 700th career appearance and Leicester turned up the heat towards the end but could not avoid penalties.
All of Walsall's hard work was undone in the shootout courtesy of Ward, who magnificently secured a 3-0 win by keeping out all three spot-kicks to send the Foxes through.
Leicester boss Steve Cooper made 10 changes to the team that drew to Everton at the weekend, with Odsonne Edouard making his first start since signing on loan from Crystal Palace and Caleb Okoli the only survivor.
The hosts had the first big chance of the contest when Stoke loanee Nathan Lowe sent in a cross and an unmarked Lakin bulleted his close-range effort straight at Ward.
Leicester were limited to half chances in the first period and their best chance came five minutes before the break as Boubakary Soumare’s drilled cross bounced off Edouard and into the hands of Tommy Simkin.
Another golden chance came for Walsall as Abdul Fatawu’s lazy pass allowed Lowe to feed in Adomah who dragged wide of the target with the goal at his mercy.
A minute’s applause took place in remembrance of former Walsall player and ex-Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare, who died in August.
Fatawu’s clever feet worked an opening for Leicester, linking up with Facundo Buonanotte but Edouard was unable to divert home from the cross and was subsequently replaced by Jordan Ayew.
It took 70 minutes for Leicester to show their Premier League quality, this time Fatawu slicing wide from outside the box.
Leicester’s attacks were all coming from the lively Fatawu, his cross picking out the diving Buonanotte but his header went straight to Simkin.
Walsall piled on the pressure in the final stages in search of a winner, with Leicester fans chanting "this is embarrassing" as penalties loomed.
In the shootout, Taylor Allen, David Okagbue and Liam Gordon sent penalties to the bottom left but Wales international Ward denied them.
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