But my how they left it late against a makeshift Fulham side that ran all night and proved hugely stubborn.
The football world was watching with interest as to how the Blues would react to their first setback of the season.
And what they witnessed, while hardly the most emphatic response to the controversial weekend defeat, was a job well done and conclusive proof that there is no lasting derby hangover.
Two goals from set pieces – the Blues are becoming experts in the field after years of failure in that particular department – by Gareth Barry and Kolo Toure sealed the deal.
Tired legs and some tired minds were the order of the night but in the end it was a fitting way to celebrate the first anniversary of the club’s takeover by Sheikh Mansour especially in the wake of the news overnight that the owner had secured the remaining 10% of the club previously owned by another party.
Hughes’ selection for this tie was hamstrung by injuries and bans though he stuck to his pre-season vow to field a side that befits a competition offering a European place as a reward.
...Chris Bailey...
There was just one change to the line up with Argentina international Pablo Zabaleta replacing Micah Richards (sore shoulder) at right back.
Fulham, who in many ways were one of the team’s of the season last term, finishing in a personal best of seventh place and in doing so clinching a berth in the embryonic Europa League, initially seemed slightly less determined to make Carling Cup progress.
Not that they should be pilloried for their approach. Plenty of clubs who go into European competition without a large squad find it difficult to juggle the demands of a crowded early season programme.
The Premier League is still Fulham’s main focus and that could explain why they had sold fewer than 100 tickets on the morning of the game.
Wily and experienced boss Roy Hodgson changed his entire first eleven from the one that did duty in the previous Premier League game.
Even so after one the most mundane openings to a game anyone in the City of Manchester Stadium can probably remember he saw his second string shock the Blues by taking a 34th minute lead thanks to a wonderful strike from 20-odd yards by former West Brom man Zoltan Gera.
It took seven minutes for Hughes’ half time words to work their magic and inevitably it was the in-form Craig Bellamy who had a foot in the equaliser picking out Barry at the far post from where the England man made no mistake with a close range header.
It was all one way traffic after the Barry leveller but David Stockdale, in the Londoners’ goal, was strangely under employed.
Barry might have got a second but for a deflection on his 20-yarder and despite all the dominance it was Shay Given in the Blues goal who had to make the best save of the second half fisting away Ceol Ki Hyeon’s long range effort.
Stockdale performed similarly stout work when Bellamy’s angled drive threatened to light up extra time and he came to the rescue again in the 105th minute when he managed to hold Carlos Tevez’ header.
In the end it took another corner, this one from the right delivered by the left boot of Martin Petrov, to undo Fulham. His firmly hit flag kick whistled its way to the back post where the Ivorian saw his name writ large upon the ball and despatched it with powerful aplomb.
Thereafter the Blues managed to hold out with some comfort and there were ironic cheers when the board went up showing one minute’s addition to play.
Hopefully with this tie out of the way the clock is now ticking on silverware finding its way into Blues hands.
