Xabi Alonso corrects Chelsea’s big mistake and key talking points after Leeds win

This will only intensify talk of Chelsea having the most formidable attack in the country.

Down by two goals and facing a humiliating League Cup exit at home to Leeds United with Xabi Alonso’s much-changed squad under scrutiny, his emergency quadruple substitution at half-time began to bear fruit.

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The Blues scored four goals in 12 second-half minutes and added two more to secure their place in the fourth round with a 6-3 win and eliminate the visitors with a brutal and merciless goal after the break.

Debutant struggles and election backfires

Chelsea are only in three competitions this season and had a strong showing in the previous round against Luton Town, so Alonso was expected to do the same again ahead of the visit to Leeds, taking the League Cup seriously.

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Instead, he gave a surprise: he actively changed and made his senior debut for 16-year-old Reggie Watson in midfield.

The choice of such a second team backfired. Watson impressed in pre-season games against Western Sydney Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan and Johor Darul Ta’zim but struggled to achieve the same level of composure at Stamford Bridge.

He made some smart interceptions as well as some rash tackles and was booked for one tackle against Harry Wilson. Unsurprisingly, he was one of four players mercilessly tackled at half-time.

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The 4-3-3 formation, with Watson in central midfield and Valentin Barco and Malo Gusto in front of him, failed to hit Leeds. At half-time, Alonso replaced Gusto, Watson, Estevao and Jamie Gittens and introduced Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto and captain Reece James. The big guns did the rest.

Palmer’s supreme influence

Alonso’s drastic measures – replacing four people – did not immediately improve the situation. In fact, before they got better, they got worse, losing 2-0.

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But soon the newly introduced firepower in attack began to work and Palmer led Chelsea’s spectacular comeback from two goals down.

His powerful penalty, softly awarded for a suspected foul on Pepe Chavarria, brought Chelsea back into the game and he then finished superbly with a pinpoint pass around a defender and into the corner after Rodgers’ knockdown.

It was the first of three passes from Rodgers in ten minutes, and perhaps four from 12. Neto scored, and Barco – thanks to Rodgers’ work, if not directly because of his pass – also scored. And Danny Welbeck twice.

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Scorer’s Jubilation

Almost as satisfying for the manager as the win itself was the staff scoring six goals, given the boost it should give each player as they look to the future.

Palmer has started the season in fine form and his influence with two goals will give him confidence around the world as Chelsea’s new attack, featuring him along with Rodgers and Joao Pedro, continues to develop into a lean and mean front three.

Neto has to spend a lot of minutes at full-back, focusing more on tracking his runner back to his goal. It requires defensive discipline and some curbing of his natural attacking instincts, so scoring a goal – and in such fine style – will be pleasing for the Portuguese, who had transfer interest this summer but whom Chelsea were never willing to sell.

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Danny Welbeck’s brace will make Alonso very happy, given that he was signed as a serious understudy to Joao Pedro with the intention of pushing the Brazilian. And Barco, who scored Rodgers’ fourth goal of the night, deserved to get on the scoresheet for the Terriers’ tireless play in midfield. His bite in the tackle was consistent on a night when Chelsea’s bite in general was not.

The Blues scored six goals, all of which came after 52 minutes. What came before was duly forgotten. What followed was a warning to the rest of the Premier League about how devastating their attack could be.