The point is that this competition was brought into existence for the benefit of Europe's smaller clubs. There is little for Chelsea to gain, much as the prospect of adding another European trophy to their extensive haul will appeal to their supporters, and the truth is there was something faintly preposterous about this 8-0 victory over Noah.
This was less a contest, more an exercise in shooting practice for João Félix, and it spoke volumes that Enzo Maresca was once again able to make 11 changes without disrupting his team's flow. Chelsea cruised as they maintained their perfect record and went top of the league phase, while the main positive for Maresca was seeing members of his expensively assembled reserves build confidence and momentum. Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo notched their first goals for the club, Enzo Fernández picked up a hat-trick of assists and Mykhailo Mudryk lapped up the acclaim after a beautiful curling strike.
This story is from the November 08, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 08, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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