Lincoln 1-2 Chelsea - EFL Cup third round result: Facundo Buonanotte, Tyrique George help Premier League side avoid upset

Chelsea avoided an almighty EFL Cup upset on Tuesday as they came from a goal behind to beat Lincoln City 2-1 for a fourth-round spot.

The League One side were well on top in the early exchanges as Chelsea failed to react to the scare of Lewis Montsma cracking the post inside the opening two minutes.

And after 42 minutes of intense pressure on the Premier League side, Lincoln found the breakthrough as Rob Street netted the opening goal, profiting after Ivan Varfolomeev cut out Enzo Fernandez’s slack pass on the edge of the penalty box.

Under threat of a humiliating shock exit, Chelsea provided the perfect response just moments after the break.

Tyrique George levelled the tie on 48 minutes with a thunderous strike from outside the area, after Jamie Gittens’ pass ricocheted between a trio of Lincoln defenders.

And Facundo Buonanotte completed the turnaround just two minutes later, prodding beyond Zach Jeacock after being fed by George inside the box.

Lincoln remained dangerous throughout the third-round tie but fell foul of some wayward shooting, creating plenty but struggling to trouble Filip Jorgensen – who, throughout the evening, struggled to deal with crosses coming into his box.

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Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte both scored within two second-half minutes to turn a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead, goals which were ultimately decisive in the tie.

A two-minute spell from the Premier League side was enough to see them into the Carabao Cup fourth round in the end.

A spirited display from Lincoln as they fell just short.

Plenty of promise for the rest of the League One campaign - and perhaps even more upsets with the FA Cup to come in a couple months' time (which you can enjoy on TNT Sports this season!)

An enjoyable evening with very few lulls in the match.

Buonanotte is replaced by Reggie Walsh.

And it's going to be launched into the box, with goalkeeper Jeacock up.

Chelsea deal with it, and after several Lincoln attempts to get the ball abck in, Buonanotte buys a cheap foul to surely close the game out.

And it presents a real opportunity for Okoronkwo to force penalties.

But he can't get his effort from Darikwa's cross on target.

And Everton loanee Francis Okoronkwo enters for the final few minutes.

As he clipped the heels of Santos, whose turn on halfway allowed him the opportunity to break forward.

The yellow seemed to already be out before the pair engaged in some afters.

To deny Buonanotte from close range after he was slipped in by Neto.

For Lincoln this evening. For a team with such a strong conversion rate in the league - it is uncharacteristic to see them not trouble Jorgensen often tonight.

Seemingly for some protestations in the dugout.

It appears he may have been snitched on by the fourth.

As Estevao finds Neto who has space to drive into.

The ball isn't particularly conducive to allowing his advance, though, and he instead tries to beat Jeacock from range with his left foot.

It's a poor effort.

And Lincoln have arguably been the more dangerous for 74 of them.

They just haven't been able to test Jorgensen enough in this second half.

George, Fernandez and Gittens all making way for Chelsea. Mheuka, Cucurella and Neto all enter.

And there's a quadruple change for Lincoln, too.

Hackett, Bayliss, Obikwu and Collins all come on. Draper, Street, House and Varfolomeev exit. It's wholesale changes to the frontline.

If Chelsea have done any analysis whatsoever, they will know to not allow Hackett onto his left foot anywhere near goal. It is lethal.

Collins, by the way, has four goals in nine League One games for Lincoln this season.

They've found themselves back on top in the last 10 minutes or so.

Hamer heads down Darikwa's cross, and from there, Draper powers through two Chelsea defenders to somehow manufacture space to shoot.

But it's into the side netting.

But Montsma fires well over.

I absolutely love free-kick-taking centre backs, by the way.

The Argentine scored Chelsea's second goal in as many minutes to turn a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead.

For a robust challenge on Fernandez, which in turn actually quelled Lincoln's opportunity to counter.