Chelsea edge Bolton; Tottenham, Liverpool win in League Cup
Chelsea needed Oscar’s first goal of the season to beat Bolton 2-1 in the League Cup on Wednesday, while holder Manchester City routed another second-tier side, Sheffield Wednesday, with seven second-half goals.
Oscar secured Chelsea’s victory in the second half after 19-year-old Kurt Zouma’s debut goal was canceled out by Bolton defender Matt Mills. Chelsea, which leads the Premier League, was immediately drawn to play fourth-tier side Shrewsbury in the fourth round on Oct. 28 or 29.
City’s trophy defense will continue against Newcastle, which beat Crystal Palace 3-2 after extra time. Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard made it three goals in two games for City with a brace in the 7-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, which held the Premier League champions throughout the first half.
A shock was on the cards at Tottenham when League Championship leader Nottingham Forest took the lead, but Ryan Mason leveled on his debut before Roberto Soldado and Harry Kane clinched a 3-1 victory. Tottenham will next face Brighton, which won 3-0 at Burton.
Gareth McAuley and Saido Berahino scored two late goals inside a minute for West Bromwich Albion to overcome Hull 3-2 and set up a trip to Bournemouth.
Liverpool, which beat Middlesbrough 14-13 in a marathon penalty shootout on Tuesday, was drawn Wednesday to face Premier League rival Swansea. The other fourth round fixtures will see Stoke host Southampton, Fulham play Derby and MK Dons take on Sheffield United.
At a full Stamford Bridge, Chelsea overpowered Bolton from the start but struggled to score — despite Andre Schuerrle coming close three times — until Zouma stabbed the ball into the net in the 25th minute.
“He’s waited patiently for a chance to play,” Chelsea first-team coach Steve Holland said.
Bolton hadn’t been near Petr Cech’s goal until equalizing six minutes later when Mills headed in off the post from a free kick.
At the start of the second half, Oscar headed a free kick straight at Bolton goalkeeper Andy Lonergan but netted his first Chelsea goal since March in the 55th, striking low inside the post.
“It was a really quality strike,” Holland said. “That moment of quality has made the difference, it has won the game.”
At the Etihad Stadium, Sheffield Wednesday held out until halftime but the 1991 cup winners conceded two minutes into the second half when Lampard met James Milner’s cutback.
Then, the floodgates opened. Edin Dzeko and Jesus Navas scored a minute apart before Yaya Toure netted from the penalty spot on the hour after Kamil Zayatte was sent off for fouling Lampard.
Dzeko headed in the fifth, 18-year-old Jose Angel Pozo was set up by Navas for a debut goal before Lampard completed Wednesday’s woes.
In north London, Forest stunned Tottenham in the 61st when Jorge Grant turned in Lars Veldwijk’s cross on his first start for the club.
But, in a competition used to blood youngsters, Tottenham’s equalizer — from its first shot on target — came from Mason, sending a strike swerving into the top corner.
It took until the 83rd for Tottenham to go in front, with Soldado turning the ball into the net from Andros Townsend’s shot before Kane latched onto Erik Lamela’s pass in stoppage time.
On the south side of the capital at Selhurst Park, Dwight Gayle put Palace ahead with a penalty, but Emmanuel Riviere leveled and then put Newcastle in front with a spot-kick three minutes into the second half.
But Palace forced the game into extra time by equalizing in the 90th through Sullay Kaikai, another player on Wednesday with a debut goal. Although Newcastle midfielder Mehdi Abeid was sent off, after being shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Wilfried Zaha, Paul Dummett headed in a winner for the 10-man visitors.