´Chelsea aspire to secure titles´ – Neto targeting silverware after reaching EFL Cup semi-finals
Pedro Neto affirms that Chelsea possesses the right attitude to claim titles following their advancement to the EFL Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over Cardiff City. Neto and Alejandro Garnacho, who scored two goals, came off the bench to seal the win for Chelsea, who had been equalized by David Turnbull’s header after the Argentinian had opened the scoring. Chelsea has won their last 19 EFL Cup matches against teams from a lower division, achieving their sixth consecutive victory over Cardiff in the process. However, the match was anything but straightforward. Enzo Maresca implemented 11 changes to his team from Saturday’s win against Everton, and Chelsea found it challenging to establish control in the first half. The introduction of Garnacho and Joao Pedro after half-time transformed the game, with Neto making an almost immediate impact. He commended Chelsea’s determination as they secured their place in a third semi-final under Maresca, with the Blues aiming to capture their first domestic trophy since the 2018 FA Cup. “It’s really important. The manager said in the last 18 months, this is the third semi-final we had, so we are really happy with that,” Neto told Sky Sports. “We got the win, so we are already looking for the next game. Sometimes we were under control, but sometimes it’s the small details that make the difference. “Maybe we lost a bit of concentration because we had a lot of corners during the game, and the first time they went up after the corners, they score. So, it was a bit of a lack of focus, but in the end, we could go through, so we are really pleased. “It was about concentration. It was the desire to win this game. We wanted to win this game a lot. Then we had players on the pitch who could change the game, and Garna (Garnacho) really helped us a lot with two goals. “We are Chelsea, we want to win trophies. Our mindset is to win every match.” Cardiff performed admirably against Chelsea, and in the first half had more attempts at goal (six compared to the Blues’ five), though they found it difficult to compete after the interval. Turnbull’s goal came against the run of play, though he nearly added another, sending a looping shot onto the roof of the net before Garnacho netted the third for Chelsea. “It was clear that the players gave everything for the club, and it was an incredible atmosphere and a night to remember,” Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy told Sky Sports. “I suppose it’s the anticipation that can hurt you when we scored through David Turnbull; everyone probably got carried away, myself included, pushing for that second goal. “I couldn’t be prouder of the players. The way they performed from the first minutes, exactly in line with the identity we desire for this club, and the fans truly supported us and rallied behind us.”
Published: 2025-12-16 23:17:00
source: www.soccernews.com
