It’s another emphatic win in the bag for Enzo Maresca, who enjoying a terrific start to life as Chelsea‘s new head coach. Todd Boehly has operated like a puppet master with frayed strings over these past few years, but maybe – just maybe – it’s all coming together.
Blue is the colour at the moment. Barrow were dispatched 5-0 in the Carabao Cup third round to move Chelsea into the last 16, and though the League Two opposition were not expected to cause an upset, there was an elegance about the west Londoners’ performance.
Professional and comprehensive, Maresca will be delighted that he was able to make sweeping changes – 11, in fact – and even more so that Christopher Nkunku is continuing to purr.
Chelsea’s best player vs Barrow
Eight games, three starts, six goals, 330 minutes and 13 shots taken across all competitions for Nkunku this season. Boy is he coming into his own.
The 24-year-old forward endured an injury-affected debut campaign with Chelsea but has started the year on strong footing, having now scored in each of the three competitions he has played in.
Barrow are not the toughest opponents that the Blues will face this term, but his expert shooting made a telling comment on the calibre of goalscorer Chelsea have at their disposal, pushing at Nicolas Jackson and the like for the position as the club’s star striker.
Jackson has started the season in fine fettle in the Premier League, and so Nkunku will need to take every shot he’s presented with – he’s doing exactly that.
He’s not the only one who needs to shine when placed into the limelight, but unfortunately, £30m summer signing from Leicester City, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, flattered to deceive.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall failed his audition
Dewsbury-Hall, aged 26, was handed his first domestic start of the season yesterday evening, and he will surely rue the failed attempt to catch the eye.
|
Dewsbury-Hall vs Barrow |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90′ |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Touches |
48 |
|
Shots (on target) |
4 (1) |
|
Big chances missed |
1 |
|
Accurate passes |
36/40 (90%) |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Dribbles (completed) |
1 (0) |
|
Tackles + interceptions |
0 |
|
Total duels (won) |
6 (0) |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
Above, you’ll see a delineation of Dewsbury-Hall’s performance against Barrow. He’ll have left Maresca wanting. With errant shooting, uninspiring playmaking, non-existent defensive contribution and 29 fewer touches than his younger midfield partner, Cesare Casadei, it was not the best showing.
For a player of his quality, against such inferior opposition, Dewsbury-Hall was always going to have his moments, but they were few and far between and led GOAL to afford him merely a 5/10 match score, criticising his lack of influence and claiming that he ‘struggled to impress’.
That’s a pity. Moises Caicedo is really coming into his own at the moment and Enzo Fernandez is one of the highest-profile players at Stamford Bridge, so any opportunity to stake a claim in the centre is important. Romeo Lavia has made a significant impression on the Blues faithful and will expect ample chance to show his quality once back from injury.
Moreover, though, Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka (the latter off the bench) outplayed the former Fox, who will surely now need to pull his weight in the Conference League if he is to enjoy a campaign with regular minutes in the capital.
Some will question the decision to sell academy graduate Conor Gallagher for, subjectively, a lesser player, but Gallagher’s sale made sense for a range of reasons and Dewsbury-Hall does have what it takes to play an important role in Maresca’s squad, just not quite yet.
Nkunku, for example, is not going to start every game, but he’s pouncing when given the nod, and he will see his fortunes balloon (pardon the pun).
His midfield teammate, still only a couple of months into his new career, should take a leaf from the Frenchman’s book…
