Chelsea scraped past Lincoln City in a tough Carabao Cup clash, advancing despite an unconvincing performance.
With a heavily rotated lineup, Chelsea struggled against the League One side. Pressed high during their buildup from the back, the Blues also had trouble combining in attack with their front three of Garnacho, Gittens, and Buonanotte.
The breakthrough came for Lincoln in the 42nd minute. A sloppy build-up sequence ended with a risky pass from Enzo Fernández toward Trevoh Chalobah, whose miscontrol allowed Street to intercept and calmly slot home with a side-footed finish.
Chelsea responded strongly after halftime, turning the game around in the space of two minutes. George, playing as a center forward, equalized before Buonanotte scored his first-ever goal in a Chelsea shirt to give them the lead.
Still, questions remain. The Blues looked shaky defending set pieces, goalkeeper Jorgensen had nervy moments, and the overall attacking play lacked creativity. But despite their flaws, Chelsea did enough to secure passage into the next round.