Chelsea ran out 4-1 winners over Greek side Panathinaikos in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night after Enzo Maresca made 11 changes to the team that started against Liverpool.
After putting four past Gent on matchday one, it was another four-goal haul from the Blues, although there is still room for improvement defensively after needlessly conceding when 4-0 up and looking decidedly shaky in certain other moments before the end.
Chelsea had scored all four goals inside the first hour of the game and this was an opportunity for fringe players to both get some confidence in their performances and to impress Maresca.
Mykhailo Mudryk
If there was any player who needed a big performance, it was Mykhailo Mudryk. The Ukraine winger has become a bit-part player when it comes to the Premier League, so these European games are his best chance of proving that he is good enough for a bigger role.
The Ukrainian came away from this one with two assists and a goal, setting up Chelsea’s first two of the night and then scoring the third himself. He didn’t misplace any passes and, while he did lose the ball dribbling and wasn’t strong enough in duels, it demonstrates that he does have end-product.
In one match, he has doubled his number of direct goal involvements for the season, having only managed three in his eight previous appearances before kick-off.
Joao Felix
The beneficiary of Mudryk creating chances was Joao Felix. Similar to Mudryk, the Portuguese forward kickstarted his season, with two goals trebling his tally for the whole campaign.
The first, midway through the first half, was a clinical striker’s finish, turning the ball into the net from Mudryk’s precise cutback. The second from around ten minutes after the break had a stroke of fortune about it because of a deflection. But having the confidence to take the shot on from the edge of the box was important nonetheless.
