Enzo Maresca’s side looked set for a humbling defeat as the spirited hosts overturned an early deficit to lead 2–1 at half-time. But Garnacho’s composed finish early in the second half rescued a point for the Blues and spared them from becoming the first English team ever to lose to Qarabag.

Chelsea started brightly as 18-year-old Brazilian winger Estevão Willian opened the scoring in the 16th minute, finishing neatly after combining with fellow countrymen João Pedro and Andrey Santos. But the visitors’ defence heavily rotated after their win at Tottenham soon began to crumble.

Qarabag equalised just before the half-hour mark when Leandro Andrade volleyed home after striker Camilo Duran’s shot struck the post. Minutes later, the hosts completed the turnaround as Marko Janković calmly converted a penalty after young defender Jorrel Hato was penalised for handball.

An early injury to Romeo Lavia, who limped off after just six minutes, disrupted Chelsea’s rhythm further. Maresca reacted at the break, making three substitutions introducing Garnacho, Enzo Fernández, and Liam Delap and the changes immediately revitalized his side.

Garnacho, who had been without a goal in Europe this season, struck in the 52nd minute, pouncing on a defensive error from Kevin Medina before slotting past Mateusz Kochalski to make it 2–2.

Both sides had chances to win it late on, with Fernández and Estevão going close for Chelsea, while Qarabag substitute Nariman Akhundzade tested Robert Sánchez from distance. The draw leaves both teams level on seven points in the new 36-team league phase.

Despite missing out on a famous victory, the night belonged to Qarabag and their passionate supporters. Thousands celebrated the final whistle by taking photos of the scoreboard a symbol of pride for a club often described as “the refugee team,” displaced from their original home in Agdam since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Under long-serving coach Gurban Gurbanov, Qarabag continue to defy expectations in Europe. Having already beaten Benfica and Copenhagen this season, the Azerbaijani champions proved they can stand toe-to-toe with Europe’s elite.

Chelsea have now made more than 80% starting XI changes across 16 matches this season more than any other Premier League side. While Maresca insists his rotation policy builds depth and trust in youth, it also threatens consistency.

The draw was not disastrous, but it served as another reminder that Chelsea’s transition remains a work in progress. With tougher fixtures ahead including Barcelona and Napoli the London club cannot afford many more slip-ups.