Chelsea triumphed in a gripping 4–3 EFL Cup showdown against Wolves, surviving a ferocious second-half comeback to book their place in the next round. The match was a tale of two halves — Chelsea’s ruthless finishing meeting Wolves’ fighting spirit — with Jamie Gittens emerging as the night’s standout performer.

The Blues started brightly, capitalizing on Wolves’ defensive lapses. Within five minutes, a misplaced touch from Tolu Arokodare gifted Gittens possession high up the pitch. The youngster showed great composure to feed Andrey Santos, who curled a first-time strike into the bottom corner — his first goal for Chelsea.

Chelsea doubled their advantage just ten minutes later. Gittens, brimming with confidence, powered down the left flank, breezing past Matt Doherty before cutting a precise low cross for Tyrique George to slot home from close range. The visitors’ relentless pressing continued to pay off, and in the 41st minute, Estêvão made it 3–0 after pouncing on a loose ball and dinking a delicate finish over José Sá, punishing Wolves’ inability to play out from the back.

While the first half was all Chelsea, Wolves came out transformed after the break. Their response began in the 48th minute when Hwang Hee-chan picked out Arokodare, who finished smartly past the keeper to make it 3–1. The goal lifted the hosts, who began pinning Chelsea back with sustained pressure.

Wolves’ determination paid off again in the 73rd minute when a long throw caused chaos in the box. A sequence involving Marshall Munetsi, Ladislav Krejčí, and Emmanuel Agbadou saw the ball eventually fall to David Wolfe, who smashed home his first goal for the club to make it 3–2, setting up a tense finale.

Chelsea’s evening took another twist when substitute Liam Delap was shown a second yellow card in the 86th minute, leaving the visitors with ten men. Yet, against the run of play, Gittens delivered again — blasting in from the edge of the box in the 89th minute after Wolves failed to clear their lines, restoring Chelsea’s two-goal cushion at 4–2.

Even then, Wolves refused to fold. In stoppage time, Wolfe netted his second of the game in a goalmouth scramble (90+1’), cutting the deficit to 4–3 and setting up a frantic final few minutes. Chelsea, however, held firm under heavy pressure to seal a hard-fought win.

For Mauricio Pochettino’s side, the result extends their strong cup form and highlights the promise of their young talents — particularly Gittens and Santos, who were instrumental in the victory. Wolves, meanwhile, will rue their defensive errors and missed first-half composure, as their EFL Cup journey ends amid familiar frustrations.