Chelsea justified their tag as favourites to win the Conference League as they eased to a 4-2 win over Belgian side Gent at Stamford Bridge.
The largely comprehensive victory represented the fourth time in 10 games in all competitions this term the Blues have scored four or more goals, with each goal scored by a different player on Thursday night.
Gent forced Chelsea back with a high line at the start, restricting the Blues’ options as they looked to get the ball forward. The first 10 minutes were frustrating as a result, then something clicked and the hosts edged in front when Renato Veiga headed in his first goal for the club after attacking a high ball hung up by Mykhailo Mudryk.
Christopher Nkunku scored his fourth goal in nine days, following his hat-trick against Barrow in the Carabao Cup
The Belgian side then changed tack and adopted a more conservative approach, allowing Chelsea the lion’s share of the ball and putting bodies on the line to prevent them from doubling the lead, which looked an inevitability.
But when Enzo Maresca’s side failed to do so, Gent grew in confidence. England U20 international Archie Brown surged forward and drove a low shot at Filip Jorgensen, while Andri Gudjohnsen – son of Chelsea legend Eidur – got between two defenders and flashed a shot millimetres over the crossbar.
The game sprung into life inside the first five minutes of the second half. Pedro Neto took advantage of a defensive lapse to lash in 38 seconds after the whistle, but Tsuyoshi Watanabe headed in a Gudjohnsen cross, which halved the deficit again, after a VAR check for offside.
Just past the hour, Christopher Nkunku arrived to smash in the third after Veiga struggled to get a shot away of his own and, seven minutes later, a tackle took Joao Felix’s pass out of the path of Nkunku, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was there to hit a shot that slipped through goalkeeper Davy Roef’s hands and into the net.
Despite going 4-1 down, Gent rallied and did finally get another back to limit the damage late on, when ex-MK Dons forward Max Dean pulled the ball back for fellow substitute Omri Gandelman to slot home and sent the vocal travelling fans home happy.
Maresca: We can do many things better
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca told TNT Sports:
“Good performance. It was a tough game and we approached it well very. It’s a shame the second goal we conceded, we can avoid that.
“Every game is complicated. We have many things we can do better – attack better, defend better.
“The ones who play tonight it doesn’t mean they won’t play the next game.
“I know Kiernan very well. I know when you are the main player and then move to a big club it’s not easy because you’re not the main player. Sometimes you struggle a bit at the beginning so I was very happy for him.”
Dewsbury-Hall: I won’t forget this night
Chelsea goalscorer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall told TNT Sports:
“I’m over the moon. I’ve been waiting for that moment since joining the club, to show everyone what my qualities are.
“Scoring the goal is an amazing feeling. I won’t forget this night.
“I pride myself on working as hard as I can every day. I’d like to play more but it’s my duty to make sure the manager has a decision to make. I feel fresh.
“I’ve loved it. You come through the door and expectations are through the roof. The standards are so high. It’s so nice to play with players on your wavelength – top, top players.
“It’s about learning and evolving. That’s literally what I’m here for.
“He [Enzo Maresca] is a breath of fresh air. I was taken aback by him last year. Everything he did was passionate and motivated. You can see the lads are buying into it.”
