Christopher Nkunku netted a hat-trick as Chelsea advanced to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a dominant victory over League Two side Barrow at Stamford Bridge.
Nkunku opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a composed finish following a well-placed chipped pass from Joao Felix.
He doubled his tally shortly after, deftly flicking Malo Gusto’s low cross into the net. A Felix free-kick then hit the post, rebounding off Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman to give Chelsea a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Just two minutes into the second half, Pedro Neto marked his first Chelsea goal by tapping in from a Mykhailo Mudryk assist.
Nkunku sealed his hat-trick in the 75th minute after dispossessing Farman and slotting the ball into an empty net.
This hat-trick brings the 26-year-old Frenchman to six goals in eight appearances this season. It was also his first start since Chelsea’s opening-day loss to Manchester City last month.
Five-star Chelsea beat brave Barrow
Sixty-four places separate League Two side Barrow and Premier League Chelsea, who met for the first time in 76 years.
Chelsea proved too strong for Barrow, despite manager Enzo Maresca making 11 changes to the team that defeated West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Barrow, having previously knocked out Championship club Derby, equalled their best EFL Cup run, last reaching the third round in 1967. Their spirited away fans, who traveled 300 miles from Cumbria, provided vocal support throughout.
Barrow striker Emile Acquah volleyed a half-chance over when the score was 1-0, while Kian Spence saw two free-kicks comfortably saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen at 3-0.
This was Chelsea’s first EFL Cup match since their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the 2024 final.
Out-of-favor defender Ben Chilwell made his first appearance since April as a half-time substitute, taking on the captain’s armband.
Maresca had previously remarked that Chilwell would “struggle” if he stayed at the club, having been made to train separately from the main squad. However, after the match, the Italian manager acknowledged that Chilwell had shown he was “ready and working well.”
“There is not any problem,” Maresca said. “If we have a chance, we will give him some more minutes in games.”
Chelsea host Brighton in the Premier League next on Saturday while Barrow travel to Gillingham in the fourth tier on the same day (both 15:00 BST).