Chelsea endured a tense start at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, trailing to AFC Wimbledon before fighting back for a 2-1 win in their Carabao Cup second-round tie. The League Two side stunned the home crowd in the 19th minute, with James Tilley scoring from the spot after keeper Robert Sanchez tripped Harry Pell inside the penalty box.
Chelsea survived an early scare and fought back from a goal down to beat fourth-tier AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in the Carabao Cup second round on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. The League Two visitors took a shock lead from the penalty spot in the 19th minute through James Tilley after Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez brought down Harry Pell inside the box.
Despite controlling the tempo, the Blues couldn't find the net until stoppage time in the first half, when Noni Madueke leveled the match with a successful penalty. Both sides pushed for a decisive goal, but it wasn't until the 72nd minute that Enzo Fernandez, coming off the bench, scored the winner. This was a milestone for the midfielder, being his first goal since joining the club from Benfica for a British record fee in February.
Following a season where they missed out on European football and ended up 12th in the league, this marks the first time since 2016 that Chelsea has advanced to this stage of the tournament. Their next challenge will be a third-round encounter against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on September 26.
In another comeback story, Everton managed to overturn a deficit to beat League Two's struggling Doncaster Rovers 2-1, ensuring their spot in the third round. It looked like a massive upset was brewing when Joe Ironside headed in a precise cross from Tommy Rowe just before the break. However, newcomer Beto saved the day, scoring on his debut by sliding the ball past Ian Lawlor after a clever assist from Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Beto made a strong first impression for the Toffees. Introduced at halftime alongside Idrissa Gueye and Ashley Young, the towering Portuguese forward—who netted 10 times for Udinese last year—gave the team a much-needed spark. This was crucial for Everton, who have struggled miserably to start the season, sitting bottom of the table after three straight losses without scoring a single goal.
Beto's impact was immediate; not only did he score the team's first goal of the campaign, but he also looked dangerous throughout the game. His equalizer, coming with 17 minutes left on the clock, breathed new life into Sean Dyche's squad and shifted the momentum in their favor.
The comeback was completed 15 minutes later when Arnaut Danjuma found the net, securing Everton's first win of the season. This sets up a third-round trip to Villa Park to face Aston Villa during the week of September 25.