Benoit Badiashile returns in style as Chelsea ease to Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a triumph over Blackburn

Benoit Badiashile scored the opener as he made his first

appearance of the season in Chelsea’s 2-0 Carabao Cup triumph over

Blackburn at Stamford Extension. The French international had not featured in for the

Blues since he sustained an injury in their draw with Nottingham Forest in May and got

himself involved at both ends of the pitch in a game that also saw

Reece James returns to the starting XI. Raheem Sterling fired home after the break

and keeping in mind that the guests had defended well they never

looked near returning to the challenge. Chelsea has now reached their

24th quarter-final in 33 endeavours and is one bit nearer to lifting a League Cup since 2015 when

Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino was in charge of runners-up Tottenham.

Backburn had not played a League Cup game at Stamford Bridge in 26 years and

over 3,000 fans made the trip expecting to raise the stakes than they did in 1997

when Rovers were knocked out after a penalty shootout.

Blackburn kept on baffling the Blues’ winning back belonging inside the penalty area

while Wahlstedt had the option to palm away

Conor Gallagher’s perilous cross yet the bounce back in some way cruised between an ocean of bodies.

It eventually landed at the feet of the lucky Badiashile dutifully finished to

open the scoring following 30 minutes of a half that also saw

penalty yells from the two sides neglected by referee Tim Robinson After decent work by

Cole Palmer won the ball somewhere inside In Blackburn’s half, Sterling hooked onto the ball

at the edge of the area and controlled a shot into the top right.

The two managers made a move to make changes, and the guests were kept from

conceding a quick third when Palmer’s work took a dangerous deflection off

James Hill whizzed toward the goal before Blackburn was saved by the left post.

Chelsea pushed for a third with both Gallagher and Sterling sending

efforts across the face of the goal as the clock slowed down on Blackburn’s Cup campaign

however, not before substitute Arnor Sigurdsson verged on firing in a stoppage-time consolation.