Chelsea narrowly avoided a Carabao Cup upset on Tuesday night as they came from behind to beat Lincoln City 2-1 in the third round.
Tyrique George delivered a goal and an assist to spare the Blues’ blushes, while goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen endured a torrid evening in Robert Sanchez’s absence.
Lincoln strike first
Chelsea carried a hangover from their weekend defeat to Manchester United, with Lincoln starting the brighter side.
Lewis Montsma struck the post before Rob Street capitalised on poor defending to fire the visitors ahead in the 42nd minute.
The west Londoners looked flat and disjointed at the break, offering little threat in attack while looking shaky at the back.
Things shifted just after the restart when George lashed in a powerful strike from the edge of the area to make it 1-1.
Moments later, Facundo Buonanotte danced through the defence to slot home the winner in the 50th minute.
Despite the quick turnaround, Chelsea never looked entirely comfortable. Jorgensen, deputising in goal, produced an error-strewn performance that kept Lincoln interested until the final whistle.
Nervous progress
Maresca’s side clung on to book their place in the next round, but the display will raise fresh concerns.
While George’s influence was a major positive, Chelsea’s defensive woes and Jorgensen’s struggles leave plenty for the Enzo Maresca to address going forward.
