Chelsea win 5-0 over Wrexham, with Maatsen, Gallagher, Nkunku, Chilwell scoring
Posted : 20 July 2023
In Mauricio Pochettino's debut match as Chelsea manager, the team secured a comfortable 5-0 victory over Wrexham during their U.S. tour. Netherlands Under-21 defender Ian Maatsen played in a more attacking position and scored two goals in the first half.
Substitutes Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku, and Ben Chilwell also found the net in the final 10 minutes. The match drew a sell-out crowd of 50,596 at the Kenan Memorial Stadium.
Pochettino fielded an experimental lineup, leaving out big names like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke to work on their fitness.
New signings Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos, Diego Moreira, and Nicolas Jackson started in a 4-3-3 formation. Chelsea quickly took control, with Jackson providing an assist to Maatsen, who calmly scored the opening goal within three minutes.
Maatsen's second goal came in the 42nd minute after a clever exchange with Carney Chukwuemeka, slotting the ball into the net from the edge of the box. During half-time, Pochettino animatedly expressed his thoughts to the referee, who blew the whistle just as Chelsea threatened a counter-attack.
In the second half, Chelsea made six changes, introducing Nkunku, Sterling, Angelo Borges, and Gallagher. The match lost some competitiveness, but Gallagher managed to score in the 81st minute after a pass from Sterling. Nkunku added another goal by rounding the goalkeeper and finishing with precision. Chilwell scored the final goal of the game with a delicate chip.
Pochettino expressed satisfaction with the team's attitude and performance, acknowledging that improvement is necessary as they continue to work on their playing style and physical condition.
Notably, Pochettino will be pleased with the promising performances of several players, including Jackson and Santos, who played in the midfield, an area he believes needs strengthening in the transfer market as they pursue Brighton's Moises Caicedo.
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