Chelsea cruise to win over Gent
Chelsea cruised to a resounding Europa Conference League win at Stamford Bridge, where Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga scored their first goals for the club.
Veiga put the Blues ahead, Pedro Neto doubled the lead and Tsuyoshi Watanabe pulled a goal back for Gent before Christopher Nkunku and Dewsbury-Hall netted as Chelsea got their league phase off to an emphatic start – and made it 16 goals from four matches.
Omri Gandelman scored a late consolation goal for the Belgian side.
Chelsea, with an entirely changed line-up from the one which beat Brighton at the weekend, got off the mark with just 12 minutes gone.
With the Gent defence far too casual on the ball, Mykhailo Mudryk took advantage – and the winger’s cross from the right was cleverly headed home by Veiga at the far post.
The visitors almost levelled in the 33rd minute when Andri Gudjohnsen – son of Blues’ legend Eidur – fired a terrific shot which went inches over the bar.
The game burst into life at the beginning of the second half. Axel Disasi was lost by two Gent defenders which allowed Neto to fasten on to the loose ball – and the Portuguese forward slammed the ball impressively into the roof of the net.
Gent replied three minutes later. Gudjohnsen crossed from the right and Watanabe was unmarked at the back post to gently nod the ball into the net – the goal standing after a VAR check for possible offside.
Chelsea added a third goal on 62 minutes, taking advantage of another Gent rearguard lapse.
Nkunku was sufficiently alert to sweep the ball home from 12 yards when both Hugo Gambor and Atsuki Ito failed to clear the ball.
Dewsbury-Hall effectively ended the contest with a fourth in the 70th minute. Joao Felix slipped a pass into the middle of Gent’s penalty area, where the ball squirmed invitingly for the Blues midfielder, who forced it under Gent keeper Davy Roef.
Gent caught the hosts out with a reply in the final minute – substitute Gandelman burst into the penalty area to place a neat left-footed shot past keeper Filip Jorgensen, following an assist by Max Dean.
Chelsea’s next game in the Conference League is away to Panathinaikos on 24 October.
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Neto (George 79), Mudryk, Felix, Nkuknku (Guiu 79), Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei, Veiga
Subs not used: Bergstrom, Cucurella, Colwill, Fernandez, Madueke, Caicedo, Dyer
