Chelsea edged a determined Heidenheim side 2-0 in the UEFA Europa Conference League on Wednesday. The Blues made hard work of the victory, needing goals in the second half from Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk to secure all three points. Here’s a breakdown of their player performances
Goalkeeper & Defence
- Filip Jorgensen (8/10): He was Chelsea’s hero of the day, making key saves that kept Heidenheim at bay. The composure and reflexes he displayed were crucial for keeping a clean sheet.
- Renato Veiga (7/10): He was a big attacking presence down the left flank. He was always looking to link up with the midfield and create opportunities.
- Benoit Badiashile (5/10): The young centre-back had a rather laboured game, often allowing Heidenheim’s offense to trouble him. Of course, he will not look to repeat this tomorrow.
Midfield
- Cesare Casadei (6/10): Casadei showed inconsistency as he flashed some of the pass that made him wanted for Chelsea but could have a firmer grip over midfield. He got a red card and Chelsea was reduced to ten men.
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (7/10): The midfielder has been a workhorse central to the park with really strong contributions both attacking-wise and defensively.
- Jadon Sancho (8/10): Sancho, Chelsea’s most creative playmaker on the night with two assists for his teammate Nkunku to score and Mudryk to score. The two pace and dribble throughout the night were creating significant problems for Heidenheim’s defense.
- Christopher Nkunku (7/10): The French attacker opened the scoring for Chelsea early in the second half. He showed good movement and composure to finish off Sancho’s assist.
- Marc Guiu (5/10): The young striker struggled to make an impact in the game and was eventually substituted in the second half.
Substitutes
- Joao Felix (5/10): Felix was brought on in place of Guiu and did little to make any difference. He had some good glimpses of goal but could not finish them off.
- Carney Chukwuemeka (5/10): The young man gave the team some fresh legs with his introduction for Nkunku but did not contribute much to the attacking play.
Chelsea – Manager
Enzo Maresca (6/10): Chelsea’s manager will be relieved to get the win but might be concerned with the team’s inability to flow in attack for most of the game. The late red card also is a concern for upcoming games.
Takeaways
This win confirms Chelsea’s superiority in the Conference League group stage. However, the game against Heidenheim exposed some weaknesses in defence and a need for sharper attacking play. Badiashile and Felix will be looking to improve in the next games. However, Jorgensen, Sancho, Nkunku, and Mudryk played a significant role in securing the win. Chelsea will need to work on how to maintain the winning form as they move on in the competition.
A Rosy Future for Chelsea
Chelsea looks to have a brighter prospect especially in the early stages of the season as Nkunku and Mudryk demonstrate their capabilities. Their chancing creation and goal scoring abilities will be the necessary requirement to help turn the corner into a brighter future. Talent was not in question, even with the best coaching set-up, Chelsea fans do have much to be proud about.
