English-Ghanaian defender Josh Acheampong produced a composed display as Chelsea booked their place in the EFL Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The 19-year-old was handed a start at right-back in a rotated Chelsea side, and helped Enzo Maresca’s team weather early pressure before the visitors took control after the break.
Alejandro Garnacho restored Chelsea’s lead in the second half after David Turnbull had levelled for the hosts, with Pedro Neto adding a third before Garnacho struck again in stoppage time to seal the victory.
Acheampong played 84 minutes before being replaced by Trevoh Chalobah, departing with an impressive 7.7 match rating.
Beyond the statistics, Acheampong’s tidy distribution and willingness to support attacks down the right flank provided balance to Chelsea’s play, complementing the more direct impact of Neto and Garnacho further forward.
The win sends Chelsea into the last four of the competition and gives the young defender further energy ahead of the Blues next outing, a Premier League trip to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
By: Pascal Amoah
