Chelsea beat Lampard's Derby to reach League Cup quarters
LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea reached the League Cup quarter-finals thanks to two own goals in a 3-2 win over second-tier Derby County as Frank Lampard’s return to his former club ended in disappointment.
Tottenham Hotspur will join them after Son Heung-min scored twice in a 3-1 win over West Ham United and Arsenal reached the last eight after an uncomfortable 2-1 home victory over third-tier Blackpool in which both teams ended with 10 men.
Second tier Middlesbrough also reached the next round with a 1-0 win over Premier League Crystal Palace as manager Tony Pulis got one over his former club thanks to a thunderbolt finish from Lewis Wing.
Derby manager Lampard, who enjoyed 13 hugely successful years as a Chelsea player, watched his side put up a brave fight against their Premier League opponents, twice levelling the match after calamitous own goals.
On-loan Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori missed his attempted clearance and watched in Halloween night horror as the ball ricocheted off his standing leg and deflected into the net to put the hosts ahead after five minutes.
Derby equalised when Jack Marriott made the most of a slip-up from Chelsea defender Gary Cahill to finish calmly into the far corner, but fell behind again as Richard Keogh poked a Davide Zappacosta cross from the right into his own net.
Derby refused to lie down and Martyn Waghorn’s close-range finish gave them renewed hope but Cesc Fabregas stroked home at the near post four minutes before halftime to make it 3-2, angering the visiting players, who felt there had been a foul in the build-up.
“I’m disappointed. I think we deserved a draw on chances created,” said Lampard, whose side knocked out Manchester United in the previous round.
“I’m so thankful to the Chelsea fans,” added Lampard, whose name was chanted by the home supporters throughout the match.
“I have nothing but great memories of this place and they thank me like that. I’m a lucky man to have a night like that and I feel it.”