Chelsea cruised into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a thumping home win over League Two leaders Barrow. Christopher Nkunku was the star of the show as the Blues showed their superiority without ever really getting out of second gear.
It did not take long for Chelsea to open the scoring, with Nkunku tapping home from close range after latching onto Joao Felix’s brilliant scooped pass. The Blues forward doubled his tally with a sweet backheel inside 15 minutes to put the hosts in full control.
Chelsea made it three when Felix’s free kick bounced off Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman and rolled over the line. Pedro Neto added a fourth just two minutes into the second half before Nkunku wrapped up his hat-trick to put the cherry on the cake.
Express Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points from tonight’s game at Stamford Bridge…
Nkunku gives Maresca fresh headache
Nkunku’s prolific display as the central striker will give Enzo Maresca a big decision to make ahead of Saturday’s game against Brighton. The Frenchman was at his brilliant best, scoring a brace inside the opening 15 minutes before adding a third in the second half.
He has been a real handful when called upon this season and netted the winner against Bournemouth in the Premier League a few weeks ago. The 26-year-old certainly appears to be finding his feet at Stamford Bridge after seeing his debut campaign disrupted by injuries.
Nkunku’s impressive showing against Barrow came just days after Nicolas Jackson bagged two goals in quick succession at West Ham. Only time will tell which player will be trusted to lead the line for Chelsea when the Seagulls visit Stamford Bridge this weekend.
Felix impresses on second debut
Felix was another shining light for Chelsea on his second full debut for the Blues following his return on a permanent basis. He was at the heart of most things in attack, pulling the strings in the hole and wandering into the half-spaces to create more chances.
His scooped pass to set up Nkunku early on was a thing of beauty and showed exactly why Chelsea were so keen to bring him back in the summer. Minutes later, he was unfortunate to see his perfectly-placed free kick go down as an own goal.
Felix led by example in attack and will be hoping to replicate those heroics in the Premier League so he can emerge as a key man for the Blues this season.
Clever tactical tweak pays dividends
Malo Gusto was asked to play higher up the pitch than usual on the right flank, which proved to be very effective. He grabbed the assist for Nkunku’s second goal, firing in a delightful cross which allowed his team-mate to convert with the faintest of touches.
Gusto caused Barrow plenty of problems with his direct running and had the end product to match when it came to creating chances. It remains to be seen if Maresca will employ the same tactic in the Premier League to give Chelsea an edge in the final third.
Chilwell back from the brink
The inclusion of Ben Chilwell on the Chelsea bench hinted that he could still force his way back into Maresca’s first-team plans. The defender was put up for sale over the summer but ended up staying at Chelsea and appears to have been given a lifeline.
Chilwell came off the bench for the second half and took the captain’s armband upon his introduction. His involvement against Barrow suggests there is hope that he could play a bigger part for Chelsea further down the line.
While it is one thing to feature in the Carabao Cup, making a Premier League squad is entirely different and it will be interesting to see if Chilwell plays in the top flight this season.
No new injuries a major boost
Chelsea were fortunate to avoid picking up any new injuries against Barrow, who took a physical approach to their defensive duties. The likes of Nkunku and Felix were barged to the ground on a few occasions but all of their players seemed to get through unscathed.
With the games in the Premier League starting to come thick and fast, it was important for Chelsea to steer clear of any setbacks and they managed to do just that. It means they will have no new concerns to deal with ahead of their game against Brighton on the weekend.
Reece James and Omari Kellyman will remain sidelined with their respective long-term injuries, while Romeo Lavia could return from a thigh problem if he is passed fit ahead of kick-off.
