Chelsea secured their passage into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup as they beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
2023/2024 League Cup
2-0
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
23' Yellow Card! Harry Pickering booked
30' GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (Benoît Badiashile)
57' ClOSE! Enzo’s shot saved by Goalkeeper!
59' GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn Rovers (Sterling)
69' CLOSE! Pamler hits the post
Match Report
Goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling either side of half-time secured the last-16 win, keeping Mauricio Pochettino's hopes of a first piece of silverware in England alive on Wednesday night.
Blackburn gave an excellent account of themselves, and they can now turn their attention to their league campaign in the Championship.
The Blues are in the hat for the next round, meanwhile, which will take place in the week commencing Monday December 19.
Chelsea overcome Blackburn to reach quarter-finals
Reece James and Badiashile made their starting returns, and it was the latter in his first appearance of the season since returning from injury who got the opener on 30 minutes, lashing in after the ball had ricocheted kindly into his path following a corner.
Blackburn probed, however, and will feel unfortunate not to have been awarded a penalty six minutes later as a cross struck Conor Gallagher's arm in the box, but nothing was given with no VAR in place at this stage of the competition.
Chelsea doubled their lead just before the hour mark.
Cole Palmer intercepted the ball deep in Blackburn territory and the ball found its way to Sterling, who charged into the box and opened his body to bend one into the far corner.
James fitness will be key for Chelsea
It showed the importance of Reece James that the moment Chelsea doubled their lead on the night, Pochettino immediately removed him from the pitch.
The right-back had a very productive hour on his first start in nearly three months, looking lively down the flank and at times their main goal threat from open play, while also being as solid as ever in defence.
There are so many ways he will be pivotal to this Chelsea side, and it is essential they do all they can to keep him fit for the rest of the season.
Line-ups
Chelsea XI: Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Axel Disasi, Reece James, Robert Sánchez, Conor Gallagher, Benoît Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, L. Ugochukwu, Nicolas Jackson
Subs: Djordje Petrovic, Noni Madueke, Maatsen, Moisés Caicedo, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Leo Castledine, Alex Matos, Deivid Washington
Blackburn Rovers XI: Lewis Travis, Callum Brittain, Harry Pickering, Leopold Wahlstedt, James Hill, Hayden Carter, Dilan Markanday, Jake Garrett, Andy Moran, Adam Wharton, Harry Leonard
Subs: Scott Wharton, Sondre Tronstad, Niall Ennis, Joe Rankin-Costello, Arnór Sigurdsson, Joe Hilton, Tyrhys Dolan, Patrick Gamble, Jake Batty