Pedro Neto hails Chelsea’s mentality after hard-fought win at Cardiff

Chelsea had to suffer more than expected in Wales, but Pedro Neto insists the team’s mentality ultimately carried them into the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The Blues were pushed for long spells by League One leaders Cardiff City, who matched them in intensity and organisation throughout Tuesday night’s contest. Only after a series of key substitutions did Chelsea begin to impose their quality.

With the match scoreless at half-time, Enzo Maresca introduced Alejandro Garnacho and João Pedro to inject urgency and movement in the final third. The change worked quickly. Chelsea created their first clear openings through increased tempo and sharper combinations, with Facundo Buonanotte supplying the pass for Garnacho’s composed opener just before the hour.

Cardiff equalised through a powerful header from David Turnbull, punishing a brief lapse in concentration, but Chelsea recovered. Neto struck the decisive goal in the final minutes, and Garnacho sealed progression with a deft finish in stoppage time.

Speaking after the match, Neto emphasised that the turning point was not simply tactical but emotional. The team refused to panic when Cardiff grew into the match and continued to believe the breakthrough would come.

“It was the concentration,” Neto said. “It was the will of winning this game. We wanted to win a lot. Then we had guys on the pitch who could make the difference, and Garna helped us a lot with two goals.”

Neto acknowledged that Chelsea briefly relaxed after a wave of attacking pressure, allowing Cardiff to break and score from their first genuine opportunity in that period. “Sometimes it’s the small details that make the difference,” he added. “Maybe we lost a bit of concentration… but in the end we could go through, so we are really happy.”

The win places Chelsea into yet another semi-final under Maresca, something Neto was quick to highlight as evidence of the club’s development.

For Neto, already a winner of the Conference League and Club World Cup, the League Cup represents another opportunity to cement Chelsea’s momentum under Maresca. He stressed how important these knockout runs are for a squad still learning to manage pressure and expectations.

“The manager said in the last 18 months this is the third semi-final we had, so we are really happy with that,” Neto said. “We got the win, so we are already looking for the next game. We are Chelsea — we want to win trophies. Our mindset is to win all the games.”

The draw for the semi-finals takes place later on tonight, following the meeting between Newcastle United and Fulham.

Chelsea’s uneven first half reflected their ongoing challenge: depth players still struggle to replicate the rhythm and control of Maresca’s preferred XI. Although some may argue Chelsea should dominate a League One opponent, it’s worth considering how much of Maresca’s system is built on chemistry and familiarity.

In our view, the match showed both sides of Chelsea’s development — vulnerabilities in cohesion when heavily rotated, but also the strength of mentality in tight situations. The introduction of senior attackers restored confidence, tempo and structure. The team did not collapse after Cardiff’s equaliser, which signals improved resilience compared to earlier in the season.

With the semi-final secured, Chelsea now shift focus to the Premier League, carrying momentum and a growing sense of identity.

Chelsea travel to St James’ Park on Saturday to face Newcastle United in the Premier League. Recovery will be quick, but morale is strong after reaching the last four of the Carabao Cup.

👉 Chelsea fans — is Neto becoming one of the most important players in this squad, or does his best still lie ahead?