Chelsea Edge Past Servette With Nkunku and Madueke Strikes
Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Servette in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off tie, with goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke in a much-improved second half performance. However, the Blues' performance was not without its flaws, with a lacklustre first half raising concerns amongst the home crowd.
Despite a strong start with several promising runs from 18-year-old debutant Marc Guiu, Chelsea's attacking play quickly fizzled out. Nkunku remained quiet, Pedro Neto saw limited possession on the right, and Mykhailo Mudryk continued to underwhelm on the left flank, frustrating supporters with his erratic play. This led to audible groans from the stands when the Ukrainian squandered a promising counterattack by passing directly to a Servette defender.
The first half was characterised by Chelsea's struggles to maintain possession, drawing criticism from some fans towards Enzo Maresca's favoured style of play. The boos that followed Moises Caicedo's backwards pass in possession highlighted the unease among the supporters, who felt the side should be prioritising keeping the ball.
Despite the underwhelming performance, Chelsea did manage to maintain a clean sheet, thanks in part to Filip Jörgensen's intervention to clear a Dereck Kutesa shot after Servette threatened on the break. The half-time whistle brought a chorus of jeers from the Chelsea faithful, a clear indication of their dissatisfaction.
The second half witnessed a significant improvement from the Blues. A more urgent approach saw Guiu force a mistake from Servette, leading to Dewsbury-Hall finding Nkunku who was brought down by the goalkeeper. The penalty was calmly converted by Nkunku, releasing the pressure and lifting the mood amongst the home supporters.
The second goal arrived through a combination of substitutes, with Enzo Fernandez finding Madueke who unleashed a powerful shot past Jérémy Frick, doubling Chelsea's advantage.
While the victory secured a significant advantage heading into the second leg, Maresca will likely be disappointed with the lapses in concentration that allowed Servette to create several late chances. Despite the win, it is clear that there is still much work to be done for Chelsea to achieve their ambitions this season.
The match also highlighted the ongoing squad overhaul at Stamford Bridge, with the decision to hand Raheem Sterling's No 7 shirt to Pedro Neto indicative of the rapid changes taking place. Maresca has been vocal about his preferred squad and the need for a significant trim before the transfer deadline, leaving many players on the fringes.
With a host of new arrivals, including João Félix, Cole Palmer, and Renato Veiga, the Chelsea manager is looking to shape his team for the season ahead. However, the first leg against Servette demonstrated that the Blues are still in a period of transition, with plenty of work to do both on and off the pitch.
