Christopher Nkunku on Tuesday scored a hat-trick as Chelsea thrashed fourth-tier Barrow 5-0 to reach the last 16 of the League Cup as a much-changed Manchester City edged out Watford 2-1.
Nkunku now has six goals in seven appearances this season, but the Frenchman has still been unable to nail down a regular place in Enzo Maresca’s side.
Maresca made 11 changes from the team that beat West Ham United 3-0 on Saturday, but could still start about ￡400 million (US$535.3 million) worth of talent.
Photo: Reuters
Joao Felix was another of the Blues’ big money signings to shine. His scooped pass set up Nkunku for opener.
Nkunku then flicked home a second before Felix’s free-kick hit the post and rebounded in off Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman.
Pedro Neto tapped in Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross for his first Chelsea goal. Nkunku sealed his first hat-trick for the club when he dispossessed Farman and rolled into an empty net.
City began what is likely to be many months without key midfielder Rodri after he sustained suspected knee ligament damage in a fiery 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Little more than 48 hours on from that top-of-the-table clash, City were in action again and Pep Guardiola made nine changes, including a debut for 16-year-old Kaden Braithwaite.
Jeremy Doku, one of the two to retain his place, fired in the opening goal from Jack Grealish’s pass after five minutes.
Rodri’s absence could mean a more prominent role for Matheus Nunes and the Portugal international blasted in his first goal since joining City for ￡53 million a year ago.
Tom Ince, son of former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince, pulled a late goal back for Watford, but it was too little, too late for the Championship side.
Aston Villa’s second string were also pushed by lower-league opposition, but Emi Buendia’s header and Jhon Duran’s penalty were enough to win 2-1 at Wycombe Wanderers.
Fourth-tier Walsall came closest to an upset as they forced Leicester City to penalties after a 0-0 draw.
However, the Premier League side won the shoot-out 3-0.
Newcastle United’s trip to AFC Wimbledon was postponed after a sinkhole appeared on the League Two side’s pitch following heavy flooding in London this week.
The match has been switched to Newcastle’s St James’ Park on Tuesday next week.
Newcastle have contributed ￡15,000 to a fund to help repair the pitch at Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were among the sides to progress to round four last week.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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