This was the night Enzo Maresca fell in love — or so he claims.
Chelsea’s Italian manager has used the Conference League to test things out and throw young players in at the deep end, but starting two teenagers in the cauldron-like atmosphere of the Marshall Józef Piłsudski Legia Warsaw Stadium in the quarter-finals displayed a new level of boldness.
To his delight and to the duo’s immense credit, 18-year-old Josh Acheampong and 19-year-old Tyrique George thrived in the 3-0 win that makes them as good as through to the Europa Conference League semi-finals.
George played on the left wing in a 4-1-4-1 formation in the first half and found himself somewhat marginalised with the Blues failing to click beyond second gear.
After the interval, once Cole Palmer’s premeditated substitution for two-goal Noni Madueke allowed George to move into a central position, the Chelsea academy product quickly became a thorn in Legia Warsaw’s side.
It took just four minutes for that shift of positions and personnel to tell, as goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz spilt Reece James’s shot and allowed George to steal in and roll calmly into the net for his first senior goal. Adrenalised, he took on Legia’s hostile atmosphere of flares and pyrotechnics and intimidating tifos head on, knee-sliding in front of the roaring home crowd, intimidated by nothing and no one.
George pressed high and, when Chelsea had the ball, he stayed there, attempting to split the centre-backs and pinch a yard or two. On the occasion of his 18th Chelsea appearance, this felt like the night George came of age in a Chelsea shirt.
The same was true of Acheampong, who played at right-back, nominally, but ventured into midfield alongside James in a more advanced role after the break and briefly slotted into the back-line.
Acheampong defended steadfastly and was a threat going forward, joining in with attacks and displaying tidy footwork and close control, as well as completing 97 per cent of his passes.
Maresca said he was “very happy for the Chelsea academy” that George was able to score his first goal for the club, but that “the one that I fell in love with [tonight] is Josh Acheampong, because potentially he can be a fantastic player for this club, and for football in general”.
The Chelsea boss made the point that “a good player shows you they can play in different positions and do good. He was a full-back, good, midfielder, good, central defender, good.”
Acheampong worked with Maresca on Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States last summer, gaining the trust of the new head coach, yet his involvement this season has largely had to wait until a contract-renewal stand-off was resolved in December. Shortly after, Maresca described the 18-year-old as the best player on the pitch after a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.
“Since we started, I’m in love with him, but [against Legia] he showed that he can be a very good player,” Maresca said.
Chelsea’s academy has a storied history of producing exceptional players, with Marc Guehi, Mason Mount, Dominic Solanke and James some recent examples. George and Acheampong are the latest off the conveyor belt, playing 27 times this season between them.
For them to be holding their own in one of the Premier League's deepest squads, and one of the costliest to assemble, is a fine achievement.
Chelsea have fielded criticism of late for how their patterns of play are too casual and slow. George and Acheampong emerged as antidotes to that ailment in Warsaw, helping to all but send Chelsea through to the semi-finals.
