Frank Lampard celebrates his hattrick against Leicester City on Wednesday

London: A Frank Lampard hattrick, including a scrambled effort in injury time, helped holders Chelsea overturn a 2-3 deficit and beat Leicester City 4-3 in the fourth round of the League Cup on Wednesday.

Seven of the top nine in the Premier League were in action and, as usual in the country’s third competition, most of them fielded largely reserve sides.

They generally proved strong enough though as Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Everton, as well as struggling Tottenham Hotspur, joined Chelsea in the quarter finals. West Ham United earned a place on Tuesday.

Chelsea’s 45-game home unbeaten record seemed set to disappear when they trailed 2-3 with three minutes left at Stamford Bridge but Andriy Shevchenko, with virtually his first contribution of the night, lashed home a brilliant equaliser.

In a furious injury-time finale Lampard got the ball over the line and, although Shevchenko then banged it back into the net after it had been hacked clear, Chelsea gave the goal to the England midfielder.

He had earlier scored in the 20th and 29th minutes after Championship (second division) side Leicester had gone ahead through Gareth McAuley after six minutes.

Leicester, however, refused to lie down. They equalised through DJ Campbell and then went 3-2 up with a rare Carl Cort goal in the 74th minute before Chelsea's late heroics.

Lampard was excited at the prospect of becoming the eighth player to score 100 goals for Chelsea.

The England midfielder took his tally of goals for the London team to 96 with Wednesday’s hattrick.

“I am getting near to 100 goals for Chelsea and that will be a real milestone,” Lampard said. “A hundred goals would mean a huge amount.

“I am now right up there with a lot of Chelsea greats and I am very proud to be among them. I’ve been here six and a half seasons and to be anywhere near that figure is very exciting.”

Only Bobby Tambling (202), Kerry Dixon (193), Peter Osgood (150), Roy Bentley (150), Jimmy Greaves (132), George Mills (123) and George Hilsdon (107) have reached a century of Chelsea goals. (Reuters)