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LONDON. — Cesc Fabregas made an emphatic point to Chelsea manager Antonio Conte as his double sealed a 4-2 win at Leicester City, while Everton and Bournemouth suffered shock third-round exits from the English Football League Cup on Tuesday night. But Conte has refused to guarantee that Fabregas will keep his place in the Chelsea first-team after his brace at Leicester.The Spain international scored twice in extra time to ensure his side progressed to the fourth round of the EFL Cup after his side saw out a 2-2 draw in normal time.
Fabregas is yet to start in the Premier League under Conte, with his only other start coming in the EFL Cup win over Bristol City last month.
Conte, who took charge at Stamford Bridge in the summer, currently favours Nemanja Matic, N’Golo Kante and Oscar in the Chelsea midfield.
But a gritty display from Fabregas — ahead of Saturday’s visit to former club Arsenal — impressed Conte although he offered no assurances he would start at the Emirates.
He said: “I want to win and my choice is made to win. I don’t care what their name is. For me it’s important when I call someone to play and they show me my choice is not wrong.
“All the players in my squad are a possibility to play against Arsenal, there are three days before the game and they have the opportunity to convince me to put them in.
“I am pleased for Cesc because he played a good game, he showed me great commitment in the training sessions. I am satisfied when I see this behaviour.
“This is the right way and I want my players to create good competition and, game by game, give me the opportunity to choose the best line-up.”
“I was happy to play from the start! Hopefully this will shut up a few journalists talking rubbish all the time,” said Fabregas, who has been linked with a move away from Chelsea.
Elsewhere, second-tier Norwich spoiled Everton’s impressive start to the season and inflicted Ronald Koeman’s first defeat as Toffees boss with a 2-0 win at Goodison Park. Bournemouth were the other top-flight casualties as second-tier Preston won 3-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Denmark striker Simon Makienok.
At the King Power Stadium, Shinji Okazaki put Premier League champions Leicester ahead in the 17th minute when the Japan striker punished terrible Chelsea defending to head home from close range.
Okazaki followed his first goal since March with a second in the 34th minute. Gary Cahill reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time, the defender heading home after being left unmarked at the far post from a Fabregas corner.
The Blues equalised four minutes after the interval through Cesar Azpilicueta’s blistering long-range effort.
Leicester had to play extra-time with 10 men after Marcin Wasilewski’s 89th minute dismissal for elbowing Diego Costa and Fabregas made them pay, finishing a flowing move in the 92nd minute and drilling home again two minutes later.
Lucas Perez’s first goals for Arsenal inspired a 4-0 rout of second-tier Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who has never won the League Cup, made 11 changes from the team that thrashed Hull on Saturday and the understudies went ahead in the 23rd minute through a long-range effort from Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Spanish striker Perez, who arrived from Deportivo La Coruna on transfer-deadline day, opened his Arsenal account in his third appearance with a 60th-minute penalty after a foul on Chuba Akpom.
Perez got his second in the 71st minute and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got Arsenal’s fourth in stoppage time.
“It was a motivated team against us and we had a complete performance. I knew we had a strong squad,” said the Frenchman.
“It was a full house, a completely motivated team against us and we had a complete performance. The speed and movement of our play was fantastic,” Wenger purred.
Wenger also singled out Xhaka and Lucas for praise, saying of the two summer arrivals: “Lucas Perez and Granit Xhaka were very good.”
And Wenger was particularly impressed with Perez, who arrived from Deportivo La Coruna in the summer.
“Of course, a striker is always growing when he scores goals and I felt that he has shown tonight,” he said after the match.
“I liked his second goal because it was not only technique but it was determination, to fight for the ball and finish, I liked as well the part he played in the goal of (Alex) Oxlade-Chamberlain because it shows that he can combine with other people and that he is an intelligent player.”
Up next for the Gunners is the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.
Liverpool, last year’s beaten finalists, remain on course for a return to Wembley after a 3-0 win against Championship side Derby at the iPro Stadium.
Estonia centre-back Ragnar Klavan took advantage of poor Derby defending to fire home in the 24th minute.
Philippe Coutinho doubled Liverpool’s lead in the 50th minute and Divock Origi put the result beyond doubt four minutes later.
Newcastle defeated Championship rivals Wolves 2-0, Leeds beat fellow second-tier side Blackburn 1-0, while Reading won 2-1 in another all-Championship clash at Brighton. — AFP.
Online Reporter