The first EFL Cup semi-finalist will be decided on Tuesday night as Cardiff City host Chelsea in the only quarter-final not featuring two Premier League sides. The Blues arrive in the Welsh capital having ended a four-match winless run, while Cardiff are aiming for a fourth straight victory and a potentially historic result.
While Chelsea’s progression to the EFL Cup quarter-finals is expected, the nature of their victories has raised some questions. Both of their wins in this season’s competition have been narrow—first edging past Lincoln City 2-1 in the third round, then surviving a dramatic 4-3 clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers after nearly throwing away a three-goal advantage. Despite these unconvincing performances, Chelsea will be satisfied with advancing, as they look to reach the semi-finals for the fifth time in nine years.
Chelsea’s recent history in this competition is strong: they have won their last five EFL Cup quarter-final ties since being knocked out by Sunderland in 2013-14. They also returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday, beating Everton 2-0 thanks in part to a standout performance from Cole Palmer. However, the victory was somewhat overshadowed by manager Enzo Maresca’s passionate post-match press conference, in which he described the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his Chelsea career and criticized unnamed detractors.
In contrast to Maresca’s recent challenges, Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy is enjoying a remarkable run with the Bluebirds. Cardiff are aiming to reach the League Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2011-12, when they memorably lost the final to Liverpool on penalties. Now the lowest-ranked team left in the competition, Cardiff have already knocked out Premier League side Burnley, following earlier wins over Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town, and then saw off Wrexham 2-1 in the fourth round. This marks just their third ever appearance at this stage of the tournament.
Cardiff have a flawless record in previous League Cup quarter-finals and come into this David vs. Goliath encounter full of confidence. Their thrilling 4-3 victory over Doncaster Rovers on Saturday was their third consecutive League One win and their sixth triumph in seven games across all competitions, extending their lead at the top of the table to four points.
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