Kilmarnock, Pafos, St Patrick’s Athletic, Lincoln Pink Imps and Vikingur Reykjavik have been a few of the groups Chelsea shared the UEFA Convention League stage with on Thursday evening.
The Blues regarded like they might be spending one other season out of Europe till a late surge up the Premier League standings in April and Could resulted in a fifth place end and entry into the play-off spherical of UEFA’s tertiary membership competitors.
With Switzerland’s Servette the opponent at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea, even this model, heavy favourites to win, stress was on Enzo Maresca and his squad of gamers to stand up and operating.
With a spot within the group stage at stake, the 2-0 win will make life extra simple for the away leg subsequent week, however a sophisticated perfrmance…this was not.
The boss modified issues up fairly significantly from the group that misplaced to Manchester Metropolis within the Premier League final Sunday. Solely Christopher Nkunku stored his place, with wholesale modifications in any other case made that included a aggressive debuts for Filip Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, and first begins for Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor and Renato Veiga.
Your Chelsea aspect tonight! 👊#CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/F3Xh8R37NO
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 22, 2024
Moises Caicedo was additionally captain for the very first time. It divided opinion.
Moises Caicedo captain 😍😍😍
— Olivia Buzaglo (@OliviaBuzaglo) August 22, 2024
Caicedo is the captain as we speak? Love the participant however there’s one thing essentially unsuitable at Chelsea. We used to have correct captains man. My membership fell off from the face of the earth
— クラス ルゴ (@KrisRugo) August 22, 2024
Caicedo captain over Disasi. The writing is on the wall. Pack your baggage to Newcastle son.
— ًًً (@ibzsmo3k) August 22, 2024
Another person was within the tunnel however not but registered to play after Wednesday’s arrival.
A heat return to Stamford Bridge for João Félix 💙
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) August 22, 2024
When the soccer really started, it took a extremely very long time to really start.
Stats aren’t every little thing and so forth however good abstract of the primary half of the primary half right here. Chelsea transferring the ball properly however no menace within the field because the second minute, Servette enjoying for set items. pic.twitter.com/GET1Ed3KeL
— Sean Walsh (@SeanDZWalsh) August 22, 2024
Chelsea did not have a shot for 29 minutes. When it got here, Mykhailo Mudryk fired it huge.
Lastly a shot. Mudryk dragged it huge. Guiu with a…sloppy miscontrol that Mudryk bursts onto. Couldn’t work the keeper.
— Chessy Hour® ☆☆ (@ChessyHour) August 22, 2024
Within the meantime…
Chelsea followers within the Matthew Harding stand seem to chant Conor Gallagher’s identify…
— Sean Walsh (@SeanDZWalsh) August 22, 2024
Mudryk, probably so gifted however totally devoid of confidence, was the topic of a lot frustration for Chelsea followers.
mudryk will pull off the craziest 1 on 1 transfer you’ll see after which the move or shot after is rather like what are you doing man 😭
— 🧟 (@corpsecutterr) August 22, 2024
Mudryk must be some of the infuriating gamers I’ve ever watched
— JPH (@jessyjph) August 22, 2024
Everytime Mudryk will get on the ball I stay up for the garbage he’ll do each single time. Miscontrolled contact, incomplete cross, shot astray. We’re drained man
— 🕸🕸 (@ttondev) August 22, 2024
Mudryk wants 6 months out with a psychologist. Utterly critical. He’s shot and it’s 99% in his thoughts. #CFC
— Jake Heasman (@jakeheasman) August 22, 2024
Mudryk is so irritating to look at. I would like him to do properly, however too many occasions he makes poor choices or the standard of his move/shot are so poor.
— London Blue (@londonbluenews) August 22, 2024
However nearly instantly after half-time, a penalty was the increase Chelsea wanted.
Christopher Nkunku gained it…
Penalty Chelsea. Guiu presses fantastically to power an error, Dewsbury-Corridor slides it by way of to Nkunku and Frick brings him down. Little doubt about it.
Nkunku steps up and smashes it previous the keeper. 1-0. That’s the primary official aim of the Maresca period. #cfc
— Joe Krishnan (@joekrishnan) August 22, 2024
…and with Cole Palmer not on the pitch at that time, he scored it himself.
Nkunku strikes us into the lead. 🇫🇷#CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/v9oc3mO3Yw
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 22, 2024
The primary aim of the Enzo Maresca period is scored by Christopher Nkunku 🎈 pic.twitter.com/YooNA6h00Y
— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) August 22, 2024
Chelsea ought to have shortly doubled their lead however Guiu, the 18-year-old striker signed from Barcelona, by some means managed to let the goalkeeper save as he shot at an open aim.
Marc Guiu with a miss that ought to ship him straight on mortgage. pic.twitter.com/etwomqS0Rm
— ChelsTransfer (@ChelsTransfer) August 22, 2024
Utilizing that squad depth.
Good man-management from Maresca as Guiu got here off…gave him an actual conciliatory hug and a few heat phrases for that miss. Guiu’s face confirmed how gutted he was.
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) August 22, 2024
As the sport continued, frustration was the overriding emotion.
Thank god we received a penalty 😂😂
— Chelsea FC Podcast (@chelsea_podcast) August 22, 2024
Thank God I am not watching this match.. as a result of Chelsea has been completely ass..
We’re purported to be main by 3 or 4 objectives by now..
Think about main this small group by penalty..😡They actually deserve this convention league spot.. champions League is simply too massive for them ATM…tbvh
— BIG 24 StratoVM (@SUCCESS_OG_) August 22, 2024
Finally, the second aim got here: Noni Madueke.
A fantastic group aim. 🔥@NoniMadueke_ ✨#CFC | #UECL pic.twitter.com/sMKyRQDzrX
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 22, 2024
there’s no method Madueke ought to be under Mudryk within the pecking order
— ً (@elsdawg) August 22, 2024
That is the Madueke that Chelsea followers doubted, claiming he wasn’t ok. A participant who has persistently carried out since preseason, regardless of restricted minutes, and now he is scored to silence his critics
— SHAYEE 𒀭 (@tier_first) August 22, 2024
A win’s a win 🤷♂️
Actually not classic however 2-0 places us in a really commanding place with the tie.
A lot to enhance on the coaching pitch, however Nkunku, Madueke, Veiga and Caicedo put in optimistic performances.
90 helpful minutes within the legs adapting to Enzo Maresca’s model of soccer.
— Tom Overend (@tovers98) August 22, 2024
