Chelsea legend Joe Cole (Picture: Getty) Joe Cole insists he’s ‘not been this excited’ about Chelsea ‘for a long time’ and has praised ‘unbelievable’ summer signing Morgan Rogers. Cole’s former club finished just 10th in the Premier League last season, failing to qualify for any European competition and going through two permanent managers. The potentially shrewd appointment of former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso over the summer improved the mood at Stamford Bridge, as did some high-profile signings. Chelsea’s biggest signing of the summer was a stunning £117m deal for Morgan Rogers which made the England star the most expensive British player of all time. Sign up for In The Mixer, Metro's football newsletter Get exclusive analysis and previews of the biggest games every Friday. Sign up now for free. Alonso’s side began the 2026-27 season with three successive wins, beating Fulham and Brighton in the Premier League and Luton Town in the Carabao Cup. Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season at the weekend, losing 2-1 to reigning champions Arsenal, but responded with a thrilling 6-3 win over Leeds United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. An impressive start to the season has left Cole hugely ‘excited’ about Chelsea’s potential, with the Blues boasting ‘as good’ a front-three as anyone in the Premier League. Chelsea’s £117m summer signing Morgan Rogers (Picture: Reuters) Chelsea beat Leeds 6-3 in a cup thriller (Picture: Getty) ‘I thought it was a sensational game,’ Cole said on talkSPORT when asked about Chelsea’s narrow defeat to Arsenal. ‘I’ve not been this excited about a Chelsea team for a long time. ‘The front-three are blistering… I knew Morgan Rogers was a top player but he’s been unbelievable. He’s so powerful and the energy to get into the box from midfield is fantastic. ‘Chelsea didn’t have much possession against Arsenal but they look like they can carve teams open at any moment. There’s still problems defensively but I’m just excited. Xabi Alonso took over at Chelsea in the summer (Picture: Getty) ‘If you add Moises Caicedo into that team at the weekend, I think Chelsea get something out of the game. ‘Our front-three now is as good as anything in the Premier League and that’s the first time in a long time I’ve been able to say that.’ Chelsea were on course for a disappointing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Leeds, who took a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge through Tarik Muharemovic and Brenden Aaronson. "What a game of football we've just seen!" 🤯Conor Coady reacts to Chelsea's 6-3 win over Leeds 🔊 pic.twitter.com/arGmTIQwRz— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 9, 2026 But Alonso’s side scored four goals in 12 second-half minutes to turn the tie around, Cole Palmer netting a quickfire brace before Pedro Neto and Danny Welbeck got on the scoresheet, with Rogers playing a part in three of those. Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave the visitors renewed belief with Leeds’ third but late goals from Valentin Barco and Welbeck sent Chelsea into the fourth round. ‘I’m happy with the result and the reaction,’ Alonso said after an eventful cup tie. ‘There was so many changes, that was a risk. ‘Things weren’t going the way we planned, so we had to change. I take responsibility with the first half. The players that came on made an impact, for sure.’ Chelsea talisman Palmer added: ‘The boss told us to up the intensity at half-time. He thought the first half was flat, so we upped the tempo. ‘Leeds are a good team so it wasn’t easy but we stepped it up. I think we still have a bit to go, but we are getting results which is the main thing.’ Chelsea, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League, return to action on Saturday against newly-promoted Hull City. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
The introduction of Rogers and Palmer among four half-time substitutes had helped the Blues to fight back in the second half to secure a 6-3 victory over Leeds in the third round of the competition.
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