Chelsea 5-0 Barrow: Blues positives and negatives

Chelsea launched their EFL Cup campaign with an emphatic 5-0 win against League Two side Barrow at Stamford Bridge. Christopher Nkunku stole the spotlight with a hat-trick. Meanwhile, Pedro Neto opened his account for the club, and Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman inadvertently deflected a João Félix free-kick into his own net.

Here’s a breakdown of the positives and negatives from the match.

Positives

1. Attacking Threats in Full Flow

Chelsea lined up as expected with a dynamic front four of Christopher Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk, João Félix, and Pedro Neto, all of whom played a part in the evening’s goal fest. Nkunku got things rolling with a smart finish after a delightful lobbed pass from Félix. His second came thanks to a clever combination involving Neto, whose quick pass freed Malo Gusto to deliver a low cross that Nkunku stylishly flicked into the net. Félix, despite not finding the net himself, was unlucky as his excellent free-kick hit the post before rebounding off the goalkeeper and into the goal.

In the second half, Mudryk’s precise low cross allowed Neto to tap home for his first Chelsea goal. Nkunku completed his hat-trick in style, capitalizing on a moment of hesitation from Barrow’s goalkeeper, who attempted to play the ball out from the back. Nkunku expertly positioned himself in front of the keeper, shielding the ball before creating a shooting angle and slotting it into the net without looking. His instinctive finish underscored why he’s considered one of the best finishers at the club, alongside Cole Palmer.

Chelsea will need all of their attacking players firing on all cylinders as the competition intensifies. The performance of the front four will have given manager Enzo Maresca plenty of confidence and a good selection headache as the season progresses.