After an abysmal start to the Premier League, Chelsea went into the game with Maccabi Tel Aviv looking for a better start to their Champions League campaign. With six changes to the team that started against Everton, the team were sent out with a point to prove. The 4-0 victory looks impressive, however, it’s minimum expectancy in my book considering opponents.
Rahman and Loftus-Cheek impress.
Baba Rahman was exactly what Chelsea fans have been wanting on the left side of the defence. Relatively untested, he looked assured at the back and was galloping forward at every opportunity. Overlap after overlap, he provided great width and connected extremely well with Hazard. Loftus-Cheek also started the game, hoping to show the boss he can be trusted to start for the first team. An impressively solid performance from the youngster and is sure to give Jose a decision to make when choosing his midfielders against Arsenal.
Oscar returns, Chelsea win.
Oscar is usually under-rated, however, his absence so far this season has made many Chelsea fans realise how much he’s missed when he doesn’t play. The old Cliché “You don’t realise what you’ve got ’till it’s gone” couldn’t be truer. His aggressive pressing and high work-rate won the ball numerous times high up the pitch, often leading to chances for the home side. If his performance tonight wasn’t enough to warrant a start against The Gunners on Saturday I’m not sure what will.
Willian’s injury, bad timing?
With Pedro reportedly injured and now Willian substituted after what looks like a hamstring injury, Chelsea look pretty short of options in the attacking third. Hazard, Kenedy, Oscar and Traore are the only noticeable attacking midfielders available and with two of them being youngsters, the manager may struggle to name a starting 11 for the Arsenal game. The timing is awful, considering The Blues are preparing for a showdown with their London rivals on Saturday, looking to get 3 points on the board and hopefully start rising up the table.
Confidence gained?
The scoreline tonight stands at 4-0 and 3 points have been earned. A win and a clean sheet will gain some confidence, although not so much. The opposition failed to look threatening at all, and the hosts were helped by two penalty decisions in their favour, one scored, one missed. If anything positive
