Chelsea player ratings: Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte shine but one star gets a 3

Chelsea have battled their way into the fourth round of this season's Carabao Cup, securing a hard-earned 2-1 victory over League One outfit Lincoln City.

The hosts almost broke the deadlock early on, as a long throw-in wreaked havoc for the Blues, with the ball eventually landing at the feet of Lewis Montsma, who struck the post. The first half was decidedly sluggish from Chelsea's point of view, and it came as no shock when the League One side took the lead on 42 minutes.

A risky pass from Enzo Fernandez towards Trevoh Chalobah was intercepted, and Rob Street finished superbly to put the Imps ahead. However, whatever words of wisdom Enzo Maresca imparted to his Chelsea squad during the half-time interval clearly had an effect, with the visitors emerging to net two rapid-fire goals and take the lead in the tie.

Tyrique George equalised with a blistering strike from 30 yards, before setting up Facundo Buonanotte, who nudged in his maiden goal for the club.

Below, Bobby Vincent gives his ratings for the Blues players based on their performance in Lincolnshire, reports Football London.

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Filip Jorgensen - 3

His punching was dreadful. He ventured out multiple times aiming to command his box but failed to do so, leading to significant uncertainty.

Malo Gusto - 5

Unsteady start. Nearly conceded a penalty early on after slipping inside the box. In terms of attack, Gusto was constantly seeking to breach the Lincoln defence. Not a stellar performance from the Frenchman, but he improved in the second half.

Wesley Fofana - 6

Early on, he was knocked about by his own goalkeeper but managed to recover. It took him a bit of time to find his rhythm in the match, but he eventually settled in.

Trevoh Chalobah - 4

It seemed as though he almost backed out of the challenge that resulted in Street's goal. Granted, it was a poor pass from Fernandez, but Chalobah should have done more with the bounce. However, he might have been cautious that any contact could have led to a sending off.

Jorrel Hato - 6

Among all the Chelsea players, and it wasn't a high standard, Hato performed well. He appeared confident on the ball and seemed to do well in duels.

Andrey Santos - 6

He played too deep, so he couldn't influence the match in forward positions. That said, he was neat and tidy in possession as you'd expect. Certainly not the worst player on the pitch in blue.

Enzo Fernandez - 4

He made a decent pass to Jamie Gittens around the 20-minute mark, which could easily have turned into an assist for Fernandez. However, he let himself down when he played an overly risky pass towards Chalobah just before half-time, gifting Lincoln the advantage. He seems off form at the moment.

Jamie Gittens - 5

He started on the right wing for this match. A good run to the far post about 20 minutes in almost resulted in his first goal for the club. There were some bright moments, but unfortunately, he just wasn't involved in the game enough.

Facundo Buonanotte - 8

He netted his first goal for the club in only his second start, a tidy finish following some smart interplay with George. He also demonstrated good passing skills and found intelligent spaces between the lines. He should have added another to his tally later in the half.

Alejandro Garnacho - 6

It was his first time starting for the Blues. He showed promise carrying the ball and has a knack for drawing fouls. There's clearly more to come from him, but he put in a bright performance. He was substituted before the hour mark.

Tyrique George - 8

In the first half, there could have been a strong argument for substituting George or at least moving him to his preferred position. However, he made an immediate impact in the second half with a superb long-range strike. George then played a crucial role in Buonanotte's goal that put the Blues in the lead.

Estevao Willian (on for Garnacho 59') - 6

He didn't get as involved as he would have liked on the right flank after coming on for the last half-hour or so.

Shim Mheuka (on for George 67') - 7

It was great to see the 17 year old getting some game time. He's physically impressive for his age and performed well in aerial battles.

Pedro Neto (on for Gittens 67') - 7

He was lively on the right wing. A quick one-two with Marc Cucurella shortly after coming on nearly resulted in Chelsea's third goal of the evening. He did exceptionally well to set up Buonanotte for a golden one-on-one chance.

Marc Cucurella (on for Fernandez 67') - 7

He entered the game and took up a midfield position. True to form, Cucurella's first action was a robust 50-50 challenge. A confident and solid display from the seasoned Spaniard, as anticipated.

Reggie Walsh (substituted for Buonanotte at 90') - N/A.

He had roughly 10 seconds on the pitch.

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