Chelsea swept past Armenian side Noah as Enzo Maresca’s second string turned in a merciless attacking display to win 8-0 at Stamford Bridge.
The Conference League had been a testing ground for the head coach to ply his enviable strength in depth and, having hit four in each of their first two matches, his stand-ins raised the bar to blow the visiting team away with six goals scored in the first half demonstrating a chasmic gulf in class.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Guiu celebrated first Chelsea goals since joining, Joao Felix grabbed the opportunity to impress with two more, while there were goals too for Axel Disasi and, most impressively, Mykhailo Mudryk whose curler from outside the box was the pick of them.
What a finish from Mykhailo Mudryk to make it 5-0 to Chelsea 💫
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/f80VsSai7R
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024
Christopher Nkunku scored twice after the break, one of them a penalty, to cement his spot at the head of Chelsea’s scoring charts.
Noah boss Rui Mota said before kick-off that his team had not come to London simply to defend and the first half lent a bitter irony to those words, as Chelsea tore into the Armenians with unimagined ease.
Four times inside the opening 21 minutes besieged visiting goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich picked the ball out of his net, first when Adarabioyo lost his man at a corner and stooped to glance Enzo Fernandez’s cross across goal and in.
Defender Goncalo Silva gave the ball away virtually from the kick-off allowing Guiu to steal in and double the lead, then Disasi headed a near identical goal to the first, making the most of another Fernandez delivery to notch his fourth Chelsea goal.
Noah had actually had the first opportunity of the match, Goncalo Gregorio lashing the ball straight at Filip Jorgensen after a speedy counter-attack, and though their defence was an incoherent mess there were moments of competence in the attacking third that briefly worried Chelsea.
That early threat was a distant memory by the time Felix grabbed the first of his two goals and it was another error by the hapless Silva, losing possession tamely and allowing Fernandez – captain for the night having lost his place in Maresca’s Premier League XI – to feed Felix for a simple finish.
That made it four goals in a blitzkrieg nine-minute spell, a signal for Chelsea briefly to pull back. If they intended to go easy thereafter on Noah, no one had told Mudryk, who lashed in a fifth as sublime as any this ground had seen on European nights.
13 starts for Chelsea. 10 goals.
When Christopher Nkunku starts, he scores 🎈 pic.twitter.com/YGvT2mliFy
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 7, 2024
Felix’s drive may have been going wide before captain Hovhannes Hambartsumyan swung a leg and diverted it into the corner for 6-0.
The only thing missing had been a goal for Nkunku. He was denied twice in the second half, first by Chancharevich then by the crossbar as he sought his ninth of the campaign.
Finally his luck turned 20 minutes from time when the ball rebounded back to him off the goalkeeper for him to squeak the rebound inside the near post.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall won a penalty allowing the France international to complete the rout.
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura are 8th in the table and on an 8-game winless run. They urgently need to return to winning ways, indicating strong motivation in this game.2. Martti Haukioja scored first in the last game, once helping the team take the lead.3. Vaasan Palloseura won 3 games in a row between both sides, giving them a better mentality.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Neutral]...
[(Crystal Palace F.C.) Strength]: 1. Crystal Palace F.C. won the FA Cup last season, earning them a spot in the FA Community Shield. The team will go all out for victory in this match to add another trophy to their cabinet, showing strong determination.2. In the summer transfer window, Crystal Palace F.C. only made a low-cost signing of defender Borna Sosa and signed goalkeeper Walter Benitez on a...
[(Degerfors IF) Strength]: 1. Degerfors IF are deep in the relegation zone, ranking 15th in the league table and 6 points away from the safe zone. In this home match, they are motivated to grab points to avoid relegation.2. Degerfors IF won the last 2 league games against BK Hacken, including a 1-0 win in the last home game.[(Degerfors IF) Weakness]: 1. Degerfors IF suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat ...
[(Zhejiang Professional F.C.) Strength]: 1. Zhejiang Professional F.C. are 6th in the table and on a 3-game winning streak. They will go all out to continue winning in this game, indicating strong motivation.2. Alexandru Mitrita scored a goal and made an assist in the last game, helping the team win.3. Zhejiang Professional F.C. won 4-2 over Shenzhen Peng City in the last game, securing a 3-game w...
[(AFC Ajax) Strength]: 1. As the traditional giants in the Eredivisie, AFC Ajax narrowly missed out on last season's title by just one point, finishing as runners-up. This season, they are determined to reclaim the championship. Additionally, with ambitions to perform well in the Champions League, a strong start in the league is crucial, and they aim to secure an opening victory at home to build m...
[(Wuhan Three Towns FC) Strength]: 1. Wuhan Three Towns FC are currently 11th in the league table. The team have not won in five consecutive matches and urgently need a victory to get back on the winning track. They are highly motivated in this game.2. Alexandru Tudorie has made 17 appearances in the league this season and scored 9 goals, making him the top scorer of the team.3. Wuhan Three Towns ...
[(FC Utrecht) Strength]: 1. In the first round of the new season's league, FC Utrecht will strive for a win to get off to a good start at home, so their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.2. In the just-concluded UEFA Europa League match, Siebe Horemans performed well, scoring the goal that turned the score around and ultimately helping his team win.3. FC Utrecht won 3-1 against Servette in the last ...
[(IFK Norrkoping) Strength]: 1. IFK Norrkoping have been in poor form recently and are currently at the lower level of the league table, with only a five-point lead over the relegation play-offs. The team are in urgent need of points at home to improve their ranking and reduce the risk of relegation, so they are motivated.2. IFK Norrkoping's recent offensive performance has been decent. They have ...
[(PEC Zwolle) Strength]: 1. PEC Zwolle finished 10th in the Eredivisie last season. The team clearly hope to achieve better results and improve their ranking in the new season. Playing at home in the first game, PEC Zwolle are eager to get off to a good start and lay a solid foundation for the new season.2. PEC Zwolle have made some signings in the summer transfer window, with goalkeeper Tom de Gr...
[(AIK Solna) Strength]: 1. AIK Solna currently ranked fifth in the Allsvenskan, with only a two-point gap from the European competition zone. Playing at home this time, AIK Solna are eager to continue their unbeaten record at home and strive for three points to improve their ranking.2. AIK Solna have been winning consecutive games in the UEFA Conference League recently, achieving two consecutive v...
- 1 PSG Willing to Sell Lucas Beraldo – But Only If Two Demands Are Met Amid Premier League Interest
- 2 TIPS - FCSB VS KF Drita Gjilan
- 3 TIPS - Lincoln Red Imps VS FC Noah
- 4 TIPS - Rigas Futbola Skola VS KuPS
- 5 Juventus Eye Fresh Bid for Chelsea Defender Renato Veiga, But Serie A Club Must First Sell Ex-Newcastle Star
- 6 TIPS - FC Kairat Almaty VS SK Slovan Bratislava
- 7 Man City loanee Simpson-Pusey ready to prove himself at Celtic: This is a big opportunity!
- 8 TIPS - Orlando City VS Club Necaxa
- 9 Three-time Grand Slam winner Aryna Sabalenka drives fans wild
- 10 TIPS - FC Kaiserslautern VS Schalke 04