Mesmerizing Debut: Christopher Nkunku Shines as Chelsea Crush Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham in a 5-0 Spectacle
Chelsea thrash Wrexham 5-0 in their US tour opener, with new signing Christopher Nkunku impressing on his debut Pochettino praises young players ahead of Chelsea's season opener against Liverpool, live on Sky Don't miss the Premier League summer series on Sky
Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 victory against Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds' League Two team, during their US tour, with new signing Christopher Nkunku among the goal scorers. Mauricio Pochettino made his debut as the Blues' manager and opted for a young starting lineup, which featured new arrival Nicolas Jackson in the forward position.
The Senegal player wasted no time in making an impact, effortlessly evading a challenge in the third minute and then setting up Ian Maatsen to score.
Maatsen, a 21-year-old left-back from the Netherlands, increased his goal count before half-time by exchanging passes with Carney Chukwuemeka and confidently shooting from 18 yards to find the back of the net.
Nkunku was one of a number of new arrivals at the interval as Pochettino gave more of his experienced heads time to impress.
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Mauricio Pochettino took to the dugout for the first time since he was named Chelsea head coach
Consequently, it wasn't until the 80th minute that they managed to extend their advantage. Conor Gallagher's powerful shot, aided by halftime substitute Raheem Sterling's excellent play, resulted in their third goal. In the last minute of regular time, Nkunku swiftly dashed past goalkeeper Rob Lainton and confidently scored a goal for the French forward.
Pochettino impressed by young guns' performance
Pochettino's starting XI, with an average age barely over 19 years old, impressed the 50,000 fans in North Carolina as they skillfully executed a professional performance. A testament to their quality was displayed as Ben Chilwell scored another impressive goal in stoppage time, skillfully receiving a defence-splitting pass from Angelo Gabriel."It's valuable to witness these talented young individuals showcase their abilities," he shared with Chelsea.com. "It's crucial for both them and us to make an accurate evaluation. There's no doubt that they all possess quality, but they require the necessary time and opportunity to prove themselves worthy of a spot in the squad.
"Their profile is highly promising, especially that of Andrey Santos, Cesare Casadei, and Carney (Chukwuemeka). They possess the ideal attributes, it's just a matter of giving them the time they need."
"They are young and we cannot forget we are in Chelsea, the pressure is always to win. They need to have the place, to have time to evolve. But yes, the profile is good."
Chelsea start season against Liverpool, live on Sky
Mauricio Pochettino will take charge of Chelsea for the first time when they start the 2023/24 Premier League season at home to Liverpool, live on We, on Sunday August 13.
Chelsea will play against London rivals West Ham on August 19, followed by a home match against newly promoted Luton Town at Stamford Bridge on August 26. Pochettino's visit to his former club, Tottenham, is scheduled for November 4, with the return fixture set for February 24.
Watch the Premier League summer series on Sky
The inaugural Premier League Summer Series in the United States will showcase Chelsea, Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Brentford, and Aston Villa. This exciting tournament will be broadcast live on We. Taking place from July 23 to 30, the friendly tournament will be held in five east coast states as part of the teams' preparations for the upcoming Premier League season.
Each team will participate in three matches and will not compete against the same adversaries more than once.
The matches are scheduled to be held at five venues across the eastern coast: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, and FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
