The EFL Cup clash between Chelsea and Cardiff City got off to a dull and tense start, with the Championship side showing signs of unsettling the heavily rotated Chelsea team.
Cardiff's Calum Chambers received the second yellow card of the match after Isaak Davies was booked in the 16th minute, highlighting the physical nature of the early exchanges. Despite Chelsea's dominance on paper, Cardiff looked more composed in spells and posed occasional threats.
SoftFootball believes Chelsea's sluggish start is largely due to the 11 changes made to the starting lineup , which have left the Blues' attack looking blunt and disjointed. Although head coach Enzo Maresca had earlier defended the rotation policy, citing the need for player recovery amid a congested schedule , the lack of cohesion was evident.
