da 888： Mauricio Pochettino's side ran out 5-0 winners in their first pre-season friendly of the summer, with their new arrivals making an instant impact
da leao： Chelsea's youngsters enjoyed a solid first half before the veterans sealed things in the second as the Blues dispatched Wrexham 5-0 in their first pre-season contest in North Carolina. Mauricio Pochettino's side will face tougher tests going forward, but this was certainly an encouraging first display under the new boss.
Winger Ian Maatsen opened the scoring after a surging run from summer signing Nico Jackson, who evaded three defenders before feeding the Dutchman for an easy close-range finish, and Maatsen scored again late in the first half following a lay-off from Carney Chukwuemeka. Wrexham, for their part, had some moments, but failed to register a shot on target despite extended spells of pressure in the first half.
Pochettino made a glut of changes at the break, introducing the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell, and though they took their time, the new faces eventually helped Chelsea pull away. Conor Gallagher was first to get on the scoresheet, making it 3-0 with a neat side-footed finish from the edge of the box with 15 minutes remaining. Then Nkunku had his moment, scoring Chelsea's fourth, before a fine chip from Chilwell rounded off the scoring with the last kick of the game.
Pochetinno's new-look Blues didn't always have control here, and there will certainly be further changes to the squad in the weeks to come. But with youngsters staking their claim and veterans having an impact, the new manager won't have too many complaints.
GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Kenan Memorial Stadium…
Poch wants to let the kids play
The new manager might have been tempted to bring the big guns out here. Sterling, Thiago Silva and Chilwell were all available to start, but Pochettino resisted the temptation, handing a mixture of former loanees and youth products minutes ahead of the season.
And there were some standouts. Maatsen, following a successful loan spell at Burnley, bagged a brace, and looked a dangerous option on the left. Malo Gusto, a highly-rated January signing from Lyon who went back to France on loan for the second half of last season, also enjoyed some good moments.
Chelsea's squad, despite a hefty summer clearout, still looks rather bloated. The youngsters will have to fight for minutes, and many will be sent out on loan. But a few showed that they deserve a shot at the first team on Wednesday night.
AdvertisementMullin is already in fine form
There was clearly a gulf in quality between these two sides, but Wrexham's star striker from last season didn't play like he was leading a less-favoured side. Paul Mullin was mostly feeding off scraps, but looked sharp every time he was on the ball.
There were some clean touches, darting runs, and one outrageous diagonal ball to spring a Wrexham attack. And although his opportunities in the box were limited, his dogged running gave a youthful Chelsea backline lots to think about.
It remains to be seen how Wrexham stack up to the rest of League Two, and they will certainly find it a more challenging division than the National League. But if Mullin is in this kind of mood over a sustained period, the Hollywood-owned side will do more than enough to stay up and potentially even challenge for promotion.
Getty ImagesJackson looks like the real deal
Yes, the opposition could have been stronger, and yes, it is only pre-season, but Jackson looked every bit the exciting talent that Chelsea paid a relatively affordable £30 million ($38m) for last month. The 22-year-old thrived in a central role, running at defenders, and linking up well with Maatsen on the left.
Jackson scored 12 times for Villarreal last season, proving an important piece of a side that finished fifth in La Liga. He figures to have a chance of breaking into Chelsea's first team this season, especially with the Blues short of a proper No.9.
And he staked his claim for such a spot on Wednesday. There's plenty of pre-season left, and Chelsea will likely sign a bigger name to play through the middle before the campaign starts, but Jackson showed that he'll be up for the fight.
Maatsen deserves a chance
Maatsen enjoyed an immensely successful loan spell at Burnley last season, scoring four and assisting six as Vincent Kompany's side ran away with the Championship title. It was expected that he could be on his way out this summer, either sent out to Chelsea's vast loan network or heading elsewhere in England on a permanent deal.
West Ham are reportedly among the interested parties, and Maatsen might just have caught Hammers boss David Moyes' eyes on Wednesday. He scored twice, and created problems with his pace and skill out wide, serving as the main creative outlet for a largely quiet Chelsea side in the first half.
Maatsen, who can also play at left-back, is one of a glut of attacking players who will be struggling for minutes this season, and with no European football to offer extra opportunities, competition figures to be tough. This was a good start for a player who might otherwise be without a chance.