A hat-trick of outstanding quality from Christopher Nkunku helped Chelsea ease through to the fourth round of the EFL Cup with a 5-0 thrashing of League Two leaders Barrow at Stamford Bridge.
Standing in for Nicolas Jackson, the French forward opened the scoring just eight minutes in, coolly slotted home to set the tone for a dominant display. Nkunku added a second before halftime, flicking in a cute finish as Barrow’s goalkeeper Paul Farman turned a cross into his own net to make it 3-0.
Chelsea’s fourth was inside a minute of the restart as Pedro Neto tapped in from a well-laid Mykhailo Mudryk assist. Barrow, who came into the game as England’s fourth-tier top side, rarely looked like causing an attacking threat of note and had only one shot on target all game.
He completed his hat-trick in the 75th minute, rounding off a great performance before being substituted. Chelsea extended their dominance over lower league opposition with their seventh successive EFL Cup win over a fourth-tier side.
While Barrow can reflect on their first third-round EFL Cup appearance since 1967-68, Chelsea continue their fine start to the season under Enzo Maresca. The Blues are next in action on Saturday away at Brighton in the Premier League as they look to maintain momentum.
This was only the second meeting between the two clubs, and Chelsea replicated their 1947 FA Cup victory over Barrow in an identical 5-0 scoreline.
