Match ends, Leicester City 2, Chelsea 4.
Leicester City 2-4 Chelsea (AET)
- From the section Football
Cesc Fabregas scored twice in extra time as Chelsea came from two goals down to beat 10-man Leicester and reach the EFL Cup fourth round.
Shinji Okazaki's header and instinctive strike put Leicester in control, but Gary Cahill nodded in before the break.
Cesar Azpilicueta equalised with a long-range effort before Foxes defender Marcin Wasilewski was sent off.
Fabregas' clipped finish put Chelsea ahead early in the first extra period and a powerful shot sealed the win.
It had been a pulsating cup tie - particularly in the second half - with chances at both ends but Wasilewski's dismissal for elbowing Diego Costa ultimately proved costly.
Chelsea deserved to progress but Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri will perhaps be buoyed by his side's performance for much of the game, with glimpses of the incisive attacking and compact defending that helped them win the title last season.
Slick in attack, sloppy in defence
Chelsea have scored in every game this season and their attacking strength came to the fore towards the end of this game.
However, their defensive frailties should continue to be a cause for concern for boss Antonio Conte.
Only once in their previous 14 games in all competitions have the Blues kept a clean sheet - and they were needlessly exposed in the first half of this game.
Azpilicueta's awkward touch when trying to deal with Ahmed Musa's cross allowed Okazaki to nip in and flick a header over Asmir Begovic, and the Foxes forward then profited from a static backline to score a second.
"Chelsea's decision-making when under pressure was poor," said BBC Radio 5 live summariser and former Leicester defender Gerry Taggart.
"We are talking about basics. Clear the ball first, then ask questions. Some of Chelsea's decision-making was abysmal."
- Listen to radio commentary of all the goals
- BBC Radio 5 live: Butcher 'can't believe Chelsea took Luiz back'
Back from the fringes?
Fabregas has been unable to establish himself under Conte, with the Spanish midfielder restricted to appearances from the bench in the Premier League so far this season.
His only two starts for the Italian have come in the EFL Cup - but he was arguably the standout player for the Blues in this game.
The 29-year-old has been criticised for a lack of goals in the past - he scored six last season and five the campaign before - but took both his finishes well against the Foxes and also provided the assist for Cahill's goal.
His was a performance to give Conte food for thought.
Man of the match - Cesc Fabregas
What they said
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri: "I am happy with our performance until 2-0. We started very well and we were in control of the match. Chelsea had more possession but we were very smart and clever to score twice.
"The key was when we conceded a goal on the last corner of the half - we lost two dangerous men, Luiz and Cahill.
"In extra time I said stay together and close the space, but Fabregas scored and it was very difficult for us."
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte: "It's important when I call someone to play and they show me my choice is not wrong.
"I am pleased for Cesc because he played a good game, he showed me great commitment in the training sessions. I am satisfied when I see this behaviour.
"This is the right way and I want my players to create good competition and, game by game, give me the opportunity to choose the best line-up."
The stats you need to know
- Chelsea came back to win from two goals down for the first time in a game since 17 August 2002 v Charlton.
- Gary Cahill has scored five goals in all competitions since August 2015; three more than any other Chelsea defender.
- Shinji Okazaki netted his first brace for Leicester City after failing to score in his previous 13 games for the Foxes.
What next?
Leicester return to Premier League action at the weekend with a tricky away fixture at Manchester United on Saturday. Chelsea, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat by Liverpool last time out in the league when they travel to Arsenal, also on Saturday.
Line-ups
Leicester
- 21Zieler
- 17Simpson
- 27WasilewskiBooked at 89mins
- 5Morgan
- 3ChilwellBooked at 103mins
- 22GraySubstituted forAmarteyat 90+1'minutes
- 10King
- 4DrinkwaterBooked at 87mins
- 15Schlupp
- 20OkazakiSubstituted forUlloaat 75'minutes
- 7MusaSubstituted forVardyat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Vardy
- 12Hamer
- 13Amartey
- 14Kapustka
- 23Ulloa
- 26Mahrez
- 29Benalouane
Chelsea
- 1Begovic
- 28Azpilicueta
- 24Cahill
- 30David LuizBooked at 109mins
- 3Alonso
- 21MaticBooked at 83mins
- 4Fàbregas
- 15Moses
- 14Loftus-CheekSubstituted forDiego Costaat 67'minutes
- 11PedroSubstituted forE Hazardat 89'minutes
- 23BatshuayiSubstituted forChalobahat 80'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Kanté
- 10E Hazard
- 13Courtois
- 19Diego Costa
- 22Willian
- 29Chalobah
- 34Aina
- Referee:
- Robert Madley
- Attendance:
- 29,899
Match Stats
Home TeamLeicesterAway TeamChelsea
- Possession
- Home33%
- Away67%
- Shots
- Home8
- Away27
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away11
- Corners
- Home3
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away12
Live Text
Second Half Extra Time ends, Leicester City 2, Chelsea 4.
Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Danny Simpson (Leicester City).
Offside, Chelsea. Nathaniel Chalobah tries a through ball, but Cesc Fàbregas is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Marcos Alonso with a cross.
David Luiz (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
Booking
David Luiz (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by David Luiz (Chelsea).
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Second Half Extra Time begins Leicester City 2, Chelsea 4.
First Half Extra Time ends, Leicester City 2, Chelsea 4.
Foul by Eden Hazard (Chelsea).
Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
César Azpilicueta (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ben Chilwell (Leicester City).
Attempt blocked. Victor Moses (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ron-Robert Zieler.
Attempt saved. Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 2, Chelsea 4. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal following a corner.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ben Chilwell.
Goal!
Goal! Leicester City 2, Chelsea 3. Cesc Fàbregas (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
First Half Extra Time begins Leicester City 2, Chelsea 2.
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leicester City 2, Chelsea 2.
Attempt missed. Diego Costa (Chelsea) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by César Azpilicueta.
Attempt missed. Victor Moses (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Leicester City. Daniel Amartey replaces Demarai Gray.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Danny Simpson.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Marcin Wasilewski (Leicester City) for a bad foul.
Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Marcin Wasilewski (Leicester City).
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Eden Hazard replaces Pedro.
Attempt missed. David Luiz (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Booking
Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Daniel Drinkwater.
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ron-Robert Zieler.
