Chelsea 5-1 Chesterfield: 5 Talking Points as ruthless Chelsea open campaign in style | FA Cup 2021-22
An injury-stricken Chelsea romped to a comfortable 5-1 win over non-league side Chesterfield in their 2021-22 FA Cup opener at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Goals from werner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Romelu Lukaku, Andreas Christensen and Hakim Ziyech got the job done for Thomas Tuchel's men. Chesterfield scored a late consolation goal courtesy Akwasi Asante as the non-league club didn't return scoreless from the English capital.
Meanwhile, the win marked Chelsea's tenth unbeaten result across competitions. It was their second in a Cup tie following their Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur four days ago. Thomas Tuchel's men now hope to continue their winning run in Cup games when they meet Spurs in the second leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.
Back to the Chesterfield game, it was job done for the men in blue in just the first half as Chelsea led 4-0 at half-time. The Blues eased off in the second half. However, with the squad being severely hit by COVID-19 and injury woes, it was a game well managed by the coaching staff.
In the hat for the next round! 🔵
#EmiratesFACup https://t.co/IY6SgZ6EeK
On that note, here's a look at the top five talking points from the game:
#1 False wing-backs earn the early laurels for Chelsea
Callum Hudson-Odoi has been playing as a wing-back for quite some time under Thomas Tuchel. However, it was one of those rare occasions when Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech had to go the unusual route.
There was no doubt that both wide players were absolutely clear with their manager's instructions right from the kick-off whistle. Hudson-Odoi played on the left wing, demanding the ball for his one-versus-one duels. Meanwhile, Ziyech hugged the touchline, creating space for Lukaku on the right.
A slight improvisation by the former Ajax player in the sixth minute was enough to hand the Blues first blood in the gme. A brilliant run by Mateo Kovacic led to Ziyech finding acres of space in the right half-space. His saved effort was blasted into the net by Timo Werner from close range.
The second goal came from the other wing. Callum Hudson-Odoi picked up a great ball from Christian Pulisic and scored a long-range screamer, just 12 minutes after Werner's opener. This combination of goals from the two false wing-backs clearly meant Tuchel \won the tactical battle in just 18 minutes of game time.
8 - Since his first appearance in the competition in January 2018, Callum Hudson-Odoi has been involved in more #FACup goals than any other @ChelseaFC player (4 goals, 4 assists). Magic.
It was Hudson-Odoi's eighth goal contribution (four goals, four assists) in the FA Cup since 2018, the most by any Chelsea player in this period.
#2 Lewis Hall looks at home in Tuchel's back-three
The onesided scoreline was not the only thing for the champions of Europe to celebrate on Saturday night against Chesterfield.
The spate of COVID-19 cases and injury woes in the Chelsea squad forced Tuchel to hand 17-year-old Lewis Hall his first team debut. To summarise the youngster's performance on the night: Hall can hold his own in a three-man backline.
Amongst the various attributes on show by Hall, his confidence stood out the most. Paired alongside Malang Sarr and Andreas Christensen in defence, Hall was the most aggressive, as he consistently picked out the right forward passes for his teammates.
Lewis Hall is having fun - briefly loses track of the ball on a foray forward, but gets it back and crosses low for Lukaku to tap in Chelsea's third. Stamford Bridge is enjoying the teenager's performance #CFC
His persistence to win the second ball led to Chelsea's third goal, as Hall entered the final third looking to recover possession. The young player squared a pass to Romelu Lukaku, who finished with ease.
If given the opportunity, Lewis Hall could easily slot into the first team in a few years' time.