Chelsea vs. Bolton: Score, Report and Post-Match Reaction

The score was closer than expected, but Chelsea came through with a 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the third round of the Capital One Cup.

Kurt Zouma scored in his club debut, and Oscar added a goal of his own, but it was a truly a dominant team effort for the English Premier League club in a victory that was much more lopsided than the final result would indicate.

Chelsea appeared to be ready to run away with the competition in the early going due to an aggressive approach in the attacking third. Rory Smith of The Times made a bold prediction for the result:

Ian Abrahams of talkSPORT was confident the Blues would not face much trouble on the defensive end:

ESPN's Miguel Delaney described the best chance for the favourites in the early going:

This relentless attack continued until Chelsea were finally able to get onto the scoresheet on a close-range finish by Zouma in the 25th minute:

It would have been reasonable to believe the home team would continue piling it on for a dominant performance, but this simply did not happen.

Only a short time later, Bolton were able to get the ball into the Chelsea half before drawing a foul. Off the set piece, Liam Feeney looped it into the box, where Matthew Mills was there to hammer it home:

Sam Wallace of The Independent mentioned the disappointment of goalkeeper Petr Cech not getting a clean sheet in a rare start:

The score remained 1-1 going into half-time, which was not what you would expect from such a one-sided performance. Chelsea controlled possession for 73 percent of the time in the first half and outshot their opponent 19-2, though the score stayed even.

It did not take long for Chelsea to regain the lead in the second half, scoring in the 55th minute thanks to a long-range goal from Oscar:

Bolton were not able to get many more opportunities as the match continued, generally remaining on the defensive while the home squad kept pouring on shots.

There were a few scary moments, but the better team came away with a deserved win.

Chelsea assistant coach Steve Holland explained before the match that he wanted his players to work hard despite the weaker opposition, similar to how Frank Lampard played for years with the club, via Ian Winrow of the Daily Star:

"

Whenever Frank Lampard played in the Capital One Cup against lower league opposition, he played the game as though it was the World Cup final.

Maybe that why he has had the career he has had. And I would suggest that is probably a good line for others to follow.

"

It seems his squad understood the message, as they came out strong with a hard-fought victory. They will advance to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup, which will be played in the last week of October. Things will only get tougher, though, with numerous Premier League clubs advancing with wins in the third round.

Chelsea return to EPL play Saturday with a matchup against one of the early surprises of the season, Aston Villa. There should be a lot of confidence with the club after four wins and a draw in five matches, but they have to make sure to come back with a full effort to earn another three points.

Things are getting scary for Bolton as they deal with the possibility of relegation in the Championship. They will face Derby County on Saturday and will have to attempt to slow down one of the better attacks in the league.

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