Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea (Ezzalzouli 9′ | Fernandez 65′, Jackson 70′, Sancho 83′, Caicedo 90+1′ )
WROCLAW — Cole Palmer has had a tough few months, but when Chelsea needed their talisman most, he delivered to trample over Real Betis’ dreams in the Europa Conference League final.
For 65 minutes of the final, Palmer had been as anonymous as he was during the group stage, when Enzo Maresca omitted him from his continental squad. Chelsea trailed to Abdessamad Ezzalzouli’s early opener and looked short of ideas.
square FOOTBALL Doing the 92Chelsea are a black hole of logic
Read More
Five minutes later, Palmer had set up two goals with two sumptuous crosses – scored by Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson – to swing the momentum in Chelsea’s favour against Betis’ band of veteran ballers and Premier League cast-offs.
Jadon Sancho completed the turnaround with a fine finish that may yet convince Chelsea to activate the purchase option with Manchester United rather than pay to send him back. Moises Caicedo made it four in added time, creating a margin of victory unfair on the Spanish side.
BlueCo clearly had grander ambitions than winning Europe’s third-tier trophy when they took over three years ago, but will hope this can be a springboard to bigger prizes.
With Maresca’s squad securing Champions League football on Sunday, it has been a successful and lucrative end to the campaign for the Blues. And there’s still the Club World Cup to come.
Chelsea have become the first club to win four different major Uefa competitions, which is handy because they will never to be in this tournament again.
Financially, winning a trophy created for the little guys is a drop in the ocean for a super-club bankrolled by a US hedge fund. Real Betis’ entire starting line-up was assembled for a little over £30m, enough to buy Caicedo’s right leg.
But if the key to developing a winning mentality is winning stuff, it may prove in time to have been very significant indeed. Only five of Maresca’s starting line-up had won a trophy at club level, with Trevoh Chalobah the only to do so in Chelsea colours. That has now changed.
square FOOTBALL Nottingham Forest's day of poking fun at Gary Neville ends in disappointment
Read More
Chelsea should have won it given the financial disparity between themselves and everyone else in the competition, but try telling the tens of thousands of fans who travelled to Wroclaw that this was no real achievement. Or the players who sprinted on the pitch to celebrate when Sancho made it three and Caicedo four. These are the moments that make a squad stronger.
It didn’t start well, though. If Maresca could have his time again, he’d probably leave Malo Gusto on the bench. The Frenchman hasn’t adapted to an inverted full-back role and made a costly error at the start.
Isco was the one Betis player Chelsea wouldn’t have wanted to roam unchecked on the edge of their box, but Gusto’s sloppy pass fell to his feet and the veteran playmaker’s clever reverse ball found Abdessamad Ezzalzouli who lashed a finish into the bottom corner.
The goal roused Betis and rattled Chelsea. They were lucky to go in one behind at the break. Reece James came on at half-time and immediately the level was raised. After wrestling back control, Chelsea made their superior quality count to cap a difficult season in glorious fashion.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Palmer-inspired Chelsea beat Real Betis to win first trophy of the BlueCo era )
Also on site :
- Chipotle is Giving Away Free Burritos for An Entire Year—Here's How to Win
- 19 Sex Scenes on ‘The White Lotus,’ From Absolutely Awkward to Incredibly Hot
- Is Ashley Leaving 'The Young and the Restless'?