Chelsea 4-2 KAA Gent, Conference League: post-match reactions, ratings

The B team fired from the defensive blocks and with a little more determination they could have ended the game long before half time. But after settling for just a single goal in the first 45 minutes, we scored three times in the first 25 minutes of the second to make it five straight wins in all competitions.

Renato Veiga was the unlikely first goalscorer of the evening, with a well-placed header from a cross from Mudryk in the 12th minute. But despite our overwhelming lead in possession and our continued dominance, we were unable to build on anything… and the visitors, who showed some signs of life towards the end of the half, reminded us that our lead was still pretty precarious.

Pedro Neto changed that within the first minute of the second half, but unfortunately we switched off at a corner and allowed a goal in the second phase: the offside line was more of a floppy rope than a straight edge.

But that minor setback only sparked a powerful response, with a quick brace from Christopher Nkunku and a first Chelsea goal from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall putting the game to rest with 20 minutes left.

Gent grabbed a consolation in the final minute of regular time, but it has little impact beyond sheer goal difference in the Conference League 'league'. Meh.

Job done.

Carefree.

Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

• Completely rotated starting eleven
• Veiga & Dewsbury-Hall with their first Chelsea goals; Neto with his second goal of the season; Nkunku with his team-leading seventh place
• The Gent fans celebrated their goal with the flashlights (“torches,” if you will) on their cell phones. The Chelsea fans made fun of it when they put in a similar performance in our last two games, but it looked pretty cool on the night…
• Next up: Nottingham Forest at home on Sunday, then another international break
• KTBFFH

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