Chelsea back Maresca with a 3 to 1 League Cup win over Cardiff, easing pressure on the manager after recent internal tensions

Chelsea Football Club on Tuesday eased pressure on head coach Enzo Maresca after a 3 to 1 win over Cardiff City secured a place in the League Cup semi-finals.

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The quarter-final was played at Cardiff City Stadium, where the Premier League side were pushed hard by the League One leaders before sealing victory late on.

Chelsea took the lead in the 57th minute through Alejandro Garnacho, who finished calmly after capitalising on a defensive error.

Cardiff responded with resilience and drew level in the 75th minute when David Turnbull powered home a header from close range.

The equaliser briefly threatened an upset, but Chelsea restored control in the closing stages.

Pedro Neto put the visitors back in front in the 82nd minute with a low strike, before Garnacho sealed the result in stoppage time with his second goal of the night.

The result provided timely relief for Enzo Maresca following days of speculation sparked by his public comments about a lack of support within the club.

Enzo Maresca had declined to clarify remarks made after Chelsea’s recent league win over Everton, which were widely interpreted as criticism of the club’s ownership and sporting leadership.

The Cardiff victory was only Chelsea’s second win in six matches across all competitions.

Enzo Maresca made sweeping changes to his starting line-up, resting key players ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture at Newcastle United.

Chelsea are eight points behind league leaders Arsenal and are seeking their first League Cup title since 2015.

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The semi-final draw will be completed after the remaining quarter-final ties involving Manchester City, Brentford, Newcastle United, Fulham, Arsenal, and Crystal Palace.