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.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
