Chelsea 5-0 Wrexham, FC Series Friendly: Post-match reaction

Fourth division Wrexham were not expected to pose much difficulty to Chelsea, preseason or no preseason, and that would indeed prove to be the case, with Chelsea scoring early and late in the first half ... then calling it a day in the second half with a bit less enterprising effort (and many changes), before adding a few more goals in the final ten minutes.

But more importantly than the result, Chelsea showed some promise, both collectively and individually, even if we do have to take into account the level of the opposition — and the occasion.

There will be harder days than this, and days where we will have to work more as well, but it’s a good start.

Carefree.

• 4-2-3-1 mostly from Pochettino, but fluid and often just a 3 or 2 at the back in possession. Seemed to shift to a back-three more often in the second half
• 1st half: Cumming | Cucurella, Humphreys, Chalobah, Gusto | Santos, Casadei | Maatsen, Chukwuemeka, Moreira | Jackson
• 2nd half start: Cumming | Chilwell, Humphreys, Chalobah, Gilchrist | Santos, Gallagher | Sterling, Casadei, Ângelo | Nkunku
• Hall on at the hour-mark, for Santos, going into midfield
• Goalkeeper change to Bergström for the final 15 minutes. Neither had too much to do.
• Captain: Chalobah. Solid. Cucurella back on for him for the final few minutes; hopefully not because of an injury...
• Santos very impressive in the middle, Casadei as well, especially in a deeper role
• Great goals from Ian Maatsen, both the first assisted by Nico Jackson, who was also pretty impressive. (EDIT: Chukwuemeka with the assist on the second, having rotated into a center forward position.)
• Gallagher, who finished last season in good form, gets the third. Sterling with the assist.
• Great goal from Nkunku and even nicer through ball to him from Casadei.
• Chilwell with the fifth at the final whistle.
• On the flipside, Moreira, Ângelo, Cucurella were less than impressive... (though Ângelo’s ball for Chilwell’s goal was nice)
• Chelsea playing in shirts with no sponsors and no names. Almost everyone with temporary numbers. Throwbacks, indeed.
• Next up: friendly against Brighton in Philadelphia on Saturday night
• KTBFFH