LONDON, Sept 22, (AFP): Ten-man Chelsea rode their luck to reach the fourth round of the League Cup with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win over Fulham after a 0-0 draw following extra time at Stamford Bridge.
Andre Villas-Boas’s side looked in trouble when Brazilian defender Alex was sent off two minutes into the second half for conceding a penalty with a professional foul.
But Pajtim Kasami hit the crossbar with the spot-kick and Chelsea managed to hold on to force a shoot-out.
Frank Lampard missed the Blues’ first penalty but Moussa Dembele squandered his kick and Bryan Ruiz did the same, with replays inconclusive as to whether the ball crossed the line, as Chelsea scraped through.
“Everybody was looking at each other wondering if it was celebration time. The linesman was there so maybe, this time, the decision is good,” Villas-Boas said in reference to his belief Chelsea were harshly treated by the officials in their defeat at Manchester United on Sunday.
Fulham boss Martin Jol added: “To be fair, I haven’t seen it.
“Somebody was standing in front of me and then I saw him (Ruiz) go towards the goalkeeper and I knew that he’d missed.”

Chelsea’s win improved their miserable record of seven penalty shoot-out defeats from their previous eight attempts.
Salomon Kalou had fired narrowly off-target early on after Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku saw his shot saved from a lightning breakaway.
With half-time looming, Josh McEachran brilliantly burst into the box in what was his first appearance of the season and beat Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, with Daniel Sturridge poking home only to be flagged offside.
Injury was added to insult as Sturridge was forced from the field and, before Lampard could come on to replace him, Petr Cech was hurt colliding with Orlando Sa and failed to re-emerge for the second half.
Ross Turnbull came on and it got worse for Chelsea in an extraordinary opening two minutes after the restart.
Kalou fired into the side-netting after being released by Lampard and moments later Fulham won the penalty that saw Alex dismissed.
Ruiz’s clever back-heel freed debutant Kerim Frei, who was brought down by Alex.
Referee Chris Foy deemed the Brazilian the last man and produced a red card, but Kasami failed to capitalise, smashing the penalty against the crossbar.
Foy denied the visitors a second spot-kick when Oriol Romeu - who was having a mixed full debut - shoved over Sa before Villas-Boas threw on John Terry for McEachran.
Turnbull pulled off a brilliant reaction stop to deny Kasami but then flapped at the resultant corner, which Chris Baird fired wide.

Frei and Kasami cleared off the line from a corner before the former’s finish sailed wide at the other end under pressure from Turnbull.
In the shoot-out, Lampard’s penalty was immediately saved by Schwarzer, with Bobby Zamora, David Luiz, Steve Sidwell and Terry all scoring before Turnbull’s save from Dembele levelled matters.
Kalou, Baird and Florent Malouda then netted before Ruiz smashed Fulham’s fifth against the crossbar.
Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini believes Owen Hargreaves can play a key role in his side’s challenge for silverware after the injury-plagued midfielder marked his debut with a goal in the 2-0 League Cup third round win over Birmingham.
Hargreaves had been sidelined for virtually three seasons with a series of knee injuries and the former England star was released by Manchester United at the end of last season after the champions rejected his offer to play for free.
The 30-year-old even posted a video on YouTube trying to attract interest in his services as he desperately tried to revive his career.
In the end, Mancini took the bait, snapping Hargreaves up on a free transfer the day before the transfer deadline and his gamble appears to have paid off.
Hargreaves looked in good shape during his 57-minute appearance against Birmingham at Eastlands on Wednesday, with his fine long-range strike the perfect morale-boost after just six minutes of action in the last three years. “It was good for him,” Mancini said. “Owen is a fantastic player, who can become a very important player for us.


“He hasn’t had any problems in the last three weeks. At the moment his knee is fine.
“We said before the match we would give him between 45 and 60 minutes. As it turned out, he was okay for 60.”
Mancini must now decide the best way to plot Hargreaves’ progress, knowing the new arrival will be denied an emotional reunion with former club Bayern Munich in the Champions League next week as he was not registered in City’s 25-man European squad.
“We didn’t know what his condition would be when we had to decide,” said Mancini.
“It was difficult. It is possible we could bring him in during January.
“But he has only played 60 minutes. Now it is important that he recovers properly because he can be good for us and England.
“After so long out, I don’t think it was easy for him before the game. But he worked well and scored a fantastic goal.” Mario Balotelli added a second before half-time and with Birmingham offering only a very limited threat, City were able to coast home.
It was a good night all round for City as Kolo Toure was named skipper as he played his first game since completing a six-month ban for a failed drugs test.
“I am happy for him too,” said Mancini. “It was the correct decision to choose him as captain.”