Chelsea maintained their perfect record in the UEFA Conference League, making it five wins out of five by defeating Kazakhstan’s Astana 3-1. The goals came from Marc Guiu, who scored a double, and Renato Veiga, while Marin Tomasov pulled one back for the home side. Here are the positives and negatives from the match for the Blues.
Positives
1. Win Under Tricky Conditions
The temperature during the match was around -10°C. The last time a Premier League side faced Astana, Manchester United lost in 2019. The fixture took place at the Almaty Central Stadium due to renovations at Astana Arena. Despite the freezing weather, Enzo Maresca’s squad managed to secure a comfortable win.
Results elsewhere mean Chelsea is the only team with a 100% winning record. This victory also ensured their direct qualification to the Round of 16, bypassing the playoff knockouts. Impressively, Chelsea currently boasts the third-best goals-per-match ratio in European football history.
2. Marc Guiu’s Double
With many regulars from the Conference League campaign absent, Marc Guiu and Pedro Neto were the only attackers who had previously scored for Chelsea. The Spaniard made the most of his opportunity. His first goal highlighted his ball retention skills as he drove into the box and finished confidently. His second goal came via a deflected shot, further underlining his clinical performance.
3. Josh Acheampong Shines
Young defender Josh Acheampong, who has had contract issues with the club and is close to resolving, returned to the matchday squad. This allowed him to start for the Blues on Thursday. Despite being away from competitive play for an extended period and facing challenging conditions, Acheampong was arguably the standout Cobham graduate.
He displayed remarkable composure, achieving a 94% pass completion rate, and delivered a brilliant through ball to Pedro Neto in the first half. With Reece James and Malo Gusto having injury issues, Acheampong’s chances of featuring for the senior team will only increase.
4. Debuts and Minutes for Academy Players
In addition to Josh Acheampong, Sam Rak-Sakyi made his first start for the senior team, while Tyrique George earned his second senior start. Alongside Guiu, Chelsea fielded four teenagers in the starting lineup. Furthermore, Ato Ampah, Shumaira Mheuka, and Kiano Dyer made their debuts, meaning Chelsea had seven teenagers on the pitch during the game—the highest in the club’s history.
Shumaira Mheuka became Chelsea’s second-youngest player to debut in a European match, following Dominic Solanke. Additionally, 21-year-old Harvey Vale, back from loan spells, came on in the second half. Despite the freezing conditions, the Cobham graduates impressed, a source of pride for fans and everyone associated with Chelsea’s academy.
5. Filip Jorgensen’s Calm Presence
Danish goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen had a relatively quiet evening, but he delivered when called upon. Despite the extreme cold and the inexperience of many of his teammates, Jorgensen displayed faultless ball retention and distribution. His composed performance stood in stark contrast to Robert Sanchez’s erratic display against Tottenham under much better conditions. It might be time for Enzo Maresca to reward Jorgensen with a permanent spot in the Premier League lineup.
Negatives
1. Not Keeping a Clean Sheet
It feels unfair to critique a match in which Chelsea triumphed 3-1, especially given the circumstances—fielding academy players in freezing conditions. However, the team might feel slightly disappointed at conceding a goal to Astana. The home side, whose domestic league campaign has already ended, had only scored twice before Thursday. This marked the third match where Chelsea failed to keep a clean sheet in the campaign.