Christopher Nkunku scores on Chelsea debut as Mauricio Pochettino wins first match in charge – talkSPORT


Mauricio Pochettino kicked off his Chelsea career in the perfect fashion after his side ran out 5-0 winners in the Florida Cup against Wrexham.

There was to be no fairy tale victory for the League Two outfit as they were blown away by a rampant Blues side at the Kenan Memorial Stadium.

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Christopher Nkunku scored on his Chelsea debut in the 5-0 win over WrexhamCredit: Getty
It was a debut goal for the Frenchman who joined for £53million this summer from RB Leipzig

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It was a debut goal for the Frenchman who joined for £53million this summer from RB LeipzigCredit: Getty
Chelsea got off to a winning start in Pochettino's first match in charge

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Chelsea got off to a winning start in Pochettino’s first match in chargeCredit: Getty

Pochettino opted to start a youthful team, before bringing on some of his big guns in the second half – including summer recruit Christopher Nkunku.

And the versatile Frenchman capped a brilliant Chelsea performance with a debut goal in what is potentially a sign of things to come for the 25-year-old.

It took just three minutes for the first goal of the Pochettino era, with Ian Maatsen slotting past veteran goalkeeper Ben Foster.

The Dutchman, who helped Burnley win the Championship during his loan spell last season, then added a second shortly before half-time.

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A number of changes in the second half had slowed down the game, before Chelsea stepped up a gear in the closing stages.

Conor Gallagher scored Chelsea’s third in the 80th minute, with the England international striking a low shot into the bottom corner after being picked out by Raheem Sterling.

Then came the moment all Blues fans had been hoping for – Nkunku getting on the score sheet.

And he took his goal in fine fashion, as he rounded shot-stopper Rob Lainton – on for Foster – before firing into the roof of the net in the 90th minute.

Maatsen scored twice in the first half to fire the Blues into a 2-0 lead

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Maatsen scored twice in the first half to fire the Blues into a 2-0 leadCredit: Getty
Gallagher got on the score sheet in the 80th minute against Chelsea's League Two opponents

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Gallagher got on the score sheet in the 80th minute against Chelsea’s League Two opponentsCredit: Getty
Ben Chilwell completed the scoring with the last kick of the game

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Ben Chilwell completed the scoring with the last kick of the gameCredit: Getty

It was Cesare Casadei that set Nkunku through on goal with an inch-perfect pass, with the ex-RB Leipzig star showing supporters why Chelsea forked out £53million to sign him.

And left-back Ben Chilwell then put the icing on the cake for the Premier League giants in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

New signing Angelo Gabriel expertly found the run of the defender at the back post, with Chilwell calmly dinking the ball over the onrushing Lainton.

Chilwell’s goal turned out to be the last kick of the game, with Pochettino left beaming with joy following his team’s display.

He said in his post-match interview: “I was happy with the attitude and it’s now time to improve more, which is part of the process.

“We are using this period to learn how we want to play. I am happy with the performance.”





Source link: https://talksport.com/football/1503551/chelsea-nkunku-debut-goal-pochettino-florida-cup/

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