“Actually insane”, “One to keep an eye on” – Chelsea fans feel new hero is born at Stamford Bridge after 3-0 win over Luton
After a disappointing draw and a humiliating defeat in their opening two fixtures, Chelsea have gotten their season underway with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over newbies Luton Town.
The Blues finally came to the Premier League party, earning three points for the first time in this campaign. Mauricio Pochettino's men put on a show for the home crowd as a rejuvenated Chelsea side put three goals past Luton to hand them their second consecutive defeat in the league.
Raheem Sterling's superlative performance stole the limelight, as he scored two goals and assisted another to complete a much-awaited return to form. While Sterling's heroics put him on display, Malo Gusto's impactful outing made him an unsung hero of the match.
The 20-year-old wing-back surprised everyone by rising up to the occasion, as he provided two assists in his third Premier League appearance. His on-field exploits elevated the Blue Army, causing Chelsea fans to express their admiration towards the youngster through social media.
The French prodigy was acquired by the Blues in the 2023 winter transfer window but was loaned back to his parent club, Olympique Lyon, until the end of last season. While many raised their eyebrows at the amount paid by the West London outfit for a 20-year-old, the €30m fee now looks like a bargain for Gusto (source: Transfermarkt).
Despite his sizeable price tag, Gusto was expected to be the understudy to recently-appointed club captain Reece James. However, with the England international sustaining a serious injury in the first match of the season, Gusto has been thrust into the starting lineup by Pochettino.
From the looks of it, the yet-to-be-capped Frenchman looks more than capable of covering Reece James' spot in his absence.
Chelsea's summer spending spree rages on
Despite shelling a bucketload of cash last season, Chelsea are once again one of the top spenders in the current transfer window, having splashed over €400m in signings so far.
The six-time Premier League champions have welcomed nine players so far, with 18-year-old Deivid Washington's acquisition from Santos being the most recent one. Aside from the Brazilian youngster, Chelsea have also signed Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Robert Sanchez, Christopher Nkunku, and Lesley Ugochukwu.
However, their most notable acquisitions this summer have been defensive midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Not only did the Blues go to war with Liverpool over the signing of the two players, but also ended up spending a mind-boggling combined fee of €178m (source: Transfermarkt) for them. And to think that Todd Boehly is still not done with the transfer window.