Chelsea paid the price for their profligacy in front of goal after losing 2-1 to Servette, although Enzo Maresca’s men did qualify for the UEFA Conference League league phase 3-2 on aggregate.
The Blues took the lead through Christopher Nkunku’s penalty before they were pegged back by Jeremy Guillemenot just before the interval. But the Swiss side finished the stronger of the two as Enzo Crivelli’s header put them under question, and the hosts squandered their own chances as the west London side were forced to defend deep.
It offered a bleak view for the rest of the season, but with only one day left of the transfer window, Todd Boehly may not be able to use his riches to sign replacements for Enzo Maresca.
Express Sport looks at the main talking points from Chelsea’s defeat in Switzerland.
Boehly’s £72m problem
Chelsea spent £34million on Benoit Badiashile in January 2023 and another £38million six months later to sign Axel Disasi from Monaco. But are they better defensively? On this display, the answer has to be a categorical ‘no’.
Disasi made his first start of the season as a right-back, while Badiashile came into the side for Levi Colwill.
But from the off, there was a lack of comfort from all three centre-backs in possession and the horrendous organisation for Servette’s equaliser was emblematic of a team of 10-year-olds.
The problem for Chelsea is no other clubs want to take Badiashile off their hands, while they would lose money on Disasi if he was to be sold. After a huge investment in their defence, the Blues look roughshod at the back and it could be a leaky season if Disasi and Badiashile continue to get minutes.
Mudryk reaction gives hope
When asked why he hooked Mykhaylo Mudryk after 45 minutes against Wolves, Maresca bluntly replied: “Because I was not happy. In some moments we can manage some situations better.
“He was working hard off the ball but on the ball, I expect a bit more quality from Misha. He had some good moments today but the reason why was to change it and give Pedro [Neto] some minutes.”
As a result, the 23-year-old knew he had a point to prove against Servette and there was no lack of effort on his part. The Ukrainian’s pace was a real threat to the Servette defence and he won a penalty early on for Nkunku to convert.
He needed another rollocking from his manager at the interval after fading into obscurity, and came out in the second half alive, creating chances and nearly grabbing a goal for himself. There was no goal contribution from Mudryk, but his performance offered some hope after a difficult start to the season.
Dewsbury-Hall worries continue
He was supposed to be the player who knew Maresca’s system better than anyone else’s. Yet Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall isn’t looking anything like the poster boy for the Italian’s positional play project.
The £30million signing from Leicester has enjoyed a full pre-season and has the advantage of knowing Maresca’s style of play and instructions, yet he looks far from comfortable.
As the inside No. 10, he tried to link up with Mykhaylo Mudryk but failed to find his rhythm, and when he did get the ball in the half-spaces, he did very little with it.
If Dewsbury-Hall was supposed to be a key player, he is yet to prove he is worthy of so much playing time at present. He lacks the presence Enzo Fernandez or Cole Palmer have in this team, and it remains to be seen whether time will be the factor that improves things for him at Stamford Bridge.
Cobham starlet shines on debut
What a night it was for Tyrique George. This wasn’t a three-minute cameo in a 4-0 home win, this was a half-hour chance to impress the boss as he was given his debut.
The 18-year-old replaced Noni Madueke and he was keen to make his mark early on, taking on defenders on the right side as he injected some fresh legs into the Chelsea attack.
The youngster showed his quality in a few glimpses, with one moment seeing him use his silky feet to turn a marker and play into Nkunku, who set up Palmer to hit the crossbar.
With more cameos like this, it won’t be long until his next batch of appearances come thick and fast.
