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Three lessons learnt in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup drubbing of Barnsley

By Jake Leach

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Thiago Silva of Chelsea looks on during the Carabao Cup third round match between Chelsea and Barnsley at Stamford Bridge on September 23, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around United Kingdom remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Neil Hall - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Thiago Silva of Chelsea looks on during the Carabao Cup third round match between Chelsea and Barnsley at Stamford Bridge on September 23, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around United Kingdom remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Neil Hall - Pool/Getty Images) /
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As expected, Chelsea easily handled Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, winning the match 6-0. Here are three things we learnt in the Blues’ win.

Chelsea progressed into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after beating Barnsley 6-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. It was a bit doom and gloom after the 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, the midweek match upped the spirits after an emphatic win.

Despite the opponents playing in the division below, the thumping score line and personnel performances were the standout highlights. This competition will be Frank Lampard’s first chance at silverware this season, the victory on Wednesday night will keep momentum going into the later rounds.

There were some key talking points throughout the 90 after debut games and first goals from recent signings, but what did we learn from the game overall?

Kai Havertz

After arriving from Bayer Leverkusen for a club record fee, the No. 29 scored a hat-trick in west London against Barnsley. His first two games against Brighton and Liverpool in the Premier League were criticized after he failed to make a real impact in both.

The game in the cup was his chance to portray his ability against weaker opposition, and also a chance to get minutes under his belt. A lack of preseason has meant his fitness levels have dropped from the end of last season, so this appearance was important. The hat-trick—in only his third outing for the Blues—will do him the world of good, as well. It will boost his confidence going into the West Brom game on Saturday.

He will now be gagging to get back out on the grass, his five-star performance will leave Chelsea fans with severe joy. The plan is to now replicate this form in the Premier League. He will be one of the first names on the team sheet at the weekend after a Man of the Match showing midweek.

Debutants

Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell made their first Chelsea appearances in good stead after leaving the field with a 6-0 win under their belts. For them, the clean sheet will be most satisfying.

The former will be a big part of the defence this season after making his way over from Paris Saint-Germain. Silva may have not had much to do on the night, but he got a good hour under his belt. This is priceless heading into the Premier League games as the weaker opposition meant he could ease himself in and get a feel for things in west London. The 60-minute performance will prepare him for harder games in the coming months. His match sharpness will be boosted after the debut performance on Wednesday night.

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Left back Chilwell made his debut in blue, as well, as he hadn’t featured before because of injury. The debut was good for him as, like Silva, it gave him the chance to get used to his surroundings. Things got better for the left back after he grabbed an assist in the 6-0 thrashing, delivering an inch-perfect cross to Olivier Giroud. The gaffer will be hoping this is a sign of things to come down the left side as the aim is to keep ‘Chilly’ on the left flank for years to come. So far so good for the man who moved from Leicester for £50million in the summer.

Tammy Abraham

The signing of Timo Werner means Abraham’s game time will surely be reduced this season. The No. 9 was the club’s top goal scorer last campaign, but the welcoming of Werner means he is no longer the first choice striker.

He didn’t start either game against Brighton or Liverpool, but he did start on Wednesday. The Carabao Cup game was his chance to impress Lampard and give him something to think about heading into the game at The Hawthorns on Saturday evening.

His link-up play with Havertz was immense on Wednesday night as he assisted the No. 10 multiple times. The first goal between the pair, a dummy, sold the defender and saw the German through on goal with a one-on-one. The second notable piece of play was his assist for the No. 29’s second goal—a neat flick into his path meant Havertz bagged himself a brace.

Add the fact that he got a goal too, to open the scoring nonetheless, it was a successful night for the Cobham youth product. Finding the back of the net and grabbing two assists means he is in top contention for a start at the weekend in the West Midlands.

Next. Analyzing Chelsea's transfers as the window winds down. dark

What are some of the things you learned in the Barnsley match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!

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