EFL Cup
ChelseaChelsea5Nottm ForestNottingham Forest1

Chelsea 5-1 Nottingham Forest

By Owen PhillipsBBC Sport at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea's Charly Musonda celebrates scoring his first goal for the club
Charly Musonda has been at Chelsea since 2012 after joining from Anderlecht

Michy Batshuayi grabbed a hat-trick and Eden Hazard marked his first Chelsea start of the season with two assists as the Premier League champions crushed Nottingham Forest to move into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Blues boss Antonio Conte made nine changes from the side that drew 0-0 with Arsenal on Sunday but a strong and vastly experienced line-up proved way too strong for their Championship opponents.

Elsewhere, it was a night devoid of shocks as Manchester United overpowered Burton Albion, Everton eased past Sunderland and Arsenal beat Doncaster Rovers 1-0.

The closest to a shock came at the Hawthorns as West Brom scored a 72nd-minute equaliser against Manchester City before losing to Leroy Sane's second of the night.

At Stamford Bridge, Hazard looked sharp in attack and Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko dominated the midfield, with the former having a hand in all three goals before the break.

Fabregas was involved in a sweeping move that led to Brazilian wing-back Kenedy volleying the opener and he won possession in the build up for Batshuayi's close-range strike to make it 2-0.

Carabao Cup fourth-round draw
Ties to be played week commencing 23 October
Tottenham v West Ham
Bristol City v Crystal Palace
Swansea v Manchester United
Arsenal v Norwich
Chelsea v Everton
Manchester City v Wolves
Leicester v Leeds
Bournemouth v Middlesbrough

Reaction from Stamford Bridge

And the Spanish midfielder's cute reverse pass played in the impressive Charly Musonda, who drilled in number three on his full debut five minutes before the break.

Batshuayi's second, after some brilliant selfless approach by Belgian team-mate Hazard, made it 4-0 soon after the interval and he completed his treble from on the line after Kenedy's fierce strike had hit the frame of the goal.

Forest, who themselves made eight changes from the team beaten by Wolves on Saturday, almost scored at 2-0 down when on-loan Everton midfielder Kieran Dowell hit the bar with a clipped 20-yard free-kick.

Michy Batshuayi
Michy Batshuayi (centre) became the first Chelsea player to score a League Cup hat-trick since Frank Lampard against Leicester in October 2007

Dowell was also narrowly off target with a first-time effort in the second half, while substitute Ben Brereton smashed an effort wide with his left foot.

Forest's noisy 4,000 travelling support finally had something to cheer in stoppage time when Tendayi Darikwa netted from close range following a swift break.

Hazard too hot to handle

Hazard, who broke his ankle in June while on international duty, has made three substitute appearances in Chelsea's past three matches and looked fit and strong as he lasted the full 90 minutes.

He was not involved as Brazilian wing-back Kenedy cleverly side-footed home the opener from Antonio Rudiger's cross.

But he was a central figure thereafter, showing typical strength and power in possession, and his usual tricks and flicks despite clearly not being fully match-fit.

Hazard played a fine pass to tee up Batshuayi's first goal and he ran through before cleverly dummying and setting up the striker for Chelsea's fourth in the second half.

He also hit the post with a right-foot strike from 18 yards as Chelsea continued to make the most of the space created by Forest having to chase the game.

Chelsea finished the game with three teenage British substitutes on the pitch - Welsh defender Ethan Ampadu, 17, Jake Clarke-Salter, 19, and England Under-19 international Dujon Sterling.

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-3

  • 1Caballero
  • 2RĂŒdiger
  • 27ChristensenSubstituted forClarke-Salterat 71'minutes
  • 24Cahill
  • 21ZappacostaSubstituted forSterlingat 76'minutes
  • 4FĂ bregasSubstituted forAmpaduat 56'minutes
  • 14Bakayoko
  • 16Kenedy
  • 17Musonda
  • 23Batshuayi
  • 10E Hazard

Substitutes

  • 9Morata
  • 15Moses
  • 22Willian
  • 35Clarke-Salter
  • 37Dos Reis Carvalho
  • 44Ampadu
  • 66Sterling

Nottm Forest

Formation 3-5-2

  • 30Henderson
  • 42Worrall
  • 25HobbsBooked at 21mins
  • 4Mancienne
  • 2Lichaj
  • 31Bouchalakis
  • 11Osborn
  • 20DowellSubstituted forCloughat 74'minutes
  • 13FoxSubstituted forDarikwaat 59'minutes
  • 35Cummings
  • 34WalkerSubstituted forBreretonat 65'minutes

Substitutes

  • 10McKay
  • 16Clough
  • 17Brereton
  • 18Carayol
  • 27Darikwa
  • 39Vellios
  • 43Smith
Referee:
Chris Kavanagh
Attendance:
40,621

Match Stats

Home TeamChelseaAway TeamNottm Forest
Possession
Home66%
Away34%
Shots
Home16
Away16
Shots on Target
Home9
Away4
Corners
Home8
Away3
Fouls
Home7
Away13

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Chelsea 5, Nottingham Forest 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Chelsea 5, Nottingham Forest 1.

  3. Goal!

    Goal! Chelsea 5, Nottingham Forest 1. Tendayi Darikwa (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jason Cummings.

  4. Post update

    Attempt saved. Kenedy (Chelsea) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Antonio RĂŒdiger (Chelsea).

  6. Post update

    Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  7. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jason Cummings (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

  8. Goal!

    Goal! Chelsea 5, Nottingham Forest 0. Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea) with an attempt from very close range to the centre of the goal.

  9. Post update

    Kenedy (Chelsea) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the left side of the box.

  10. Post update

    Charly Musonda (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest).

  12. Post update

    Attempt missed. Andreas Bouchalakis (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Zach Clough (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from very close range is too high from a direct free kick.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Antonio RĂŒdiger (Chelsea).

  15. Post update

    Ben Brereton (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  16. Post update

    Attempt missed. Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.

  17. Substitution

    Substitution, Chelsea. Dujon Sterling replaces Davide Zappacosta.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Ben Osborn.

  19. Substitution

    Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Zach Clough replaces Kieran Dowell.

  20. Post update

    Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Joe Worrall.

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