Bolton Wanderers manager Dougie Freedman has said that Chelsea were respectful towards his side and the League Cup during their 2-1 loss to the Blues on Wednesday evening.

The Trotters boss said that the Blues' team selection and the way they played indicated that they were taking the match seriously.

"When I saw the teamsheet I knew their manager treated this competition with respect and the opposition with respect. They were taking it very seriously," Freedman told reporters.

"We were going to have to ride our luck a little bit and our goalkeeper was fantastic. They hit the bar but in the last 10, 15 minutes we gave it a right good go, played a bit more expansive.

"A little bit more quality would have taken it to extra time."

Chelsea booked their place in round four thanks to goals from Kurt Zouma and Oscar.

Written by
Mark Langshaw