Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea may have clicked into gear just in time after an impressive 2-0 win away at rivals Fulham.
Mykhailo Mudryk needed a goal and opened the scoring. Armando Broja returned from a major injury and also got his goal.
They ended a three-match drought in the Premier League which had lasted over 300 minutes and a run of 47 missed shots.
It was a near-perfect night for the Blues, who leapfrogged Fulham in the table to go from 15th to 11th. Unfortunately, Mudryk, Broja and Caicedo all came off and the second-half display was a little flat.
Nizaar Kinsella picked out three points of interest at Craven Cottage as Chelsea’s fortunes turned.
Mudryk gets his moment
Relief, joy and pure happiness fell across Mudryk’s face after he brilliantly chested and volleyed into Bernd Leno’s goal to open the scoring.
The 22-year-old has looked burdened by his price tag, an eight-month goal drought and the ridicule he has faced in English football.
However, when that ball flew in, he looked overjoyed again and it bodes well for the future, with special credit going to Pochettino who is treating him as his project.
Broja scare on scoring return
Yes, Broja initially blazed a chance high and wide but his bad second-minute miss didn’t affect him. Upon returning for his first start since an ACL injury suffered in December, he scored his first Chelsea goal in over a year.
The Albania international played with a smile on his face in the west London derby and didn’t look rusty for long, producing his trademark direct runs in behind.
Unfortunately, he left the field struggling after 63 minutes. The question then became, why play him for so long after just 14 minutes played across the two previous matches?
Midfield trio thrive
Chelsea ended a three-match goal drought but it was underpinned by Pochettino’s midfield engine room clicking into gear.
Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez were excellent in all aspects of their games and it finally came together in the middle.
