Chelsea Celebrates Ruthless Finish in Late Triumph Against Luton

Ruthless finish, away win and held despite Luton’s late comeback: is it possible Really Is this Chelsea we’re talking about?

Mauricio Pochettino’s side had lost each of their last four away games in the Premier League but picked up three points at Kenilworth Road to close out 2023.

Two quality moments featured in the first half for Chelsea, with first Cole Palmer then Noni Madueke finding the back of the net, before Palmer showed exceptional composure to make it 3-0 against the visitors in the 70th minute.

Madueke gives Chelsea a 2-0 lead (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Luton’s chances were few and far between in the first half, but the hosts certainly gave Chelsea a nervy finish. An Elijah Adebayo goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, then Chelsea old boy Ross Barkley scored, Luton hit the crossbar twice and Adebayo made it 3- 2 to three minutes of regulation time remaining.

Simon Johnson analyzes the action after Chelsea held on… just.

Chelsea win!

When Chelsea were at their peak, they found little reason to celebrate a routine victory against a newly promoted team like Luton. But this Chelsea team is just a pale imitation of those who regularly won trophies.

Chelsea came into this match having lost their previous four away matches, their worst run in 23 years. The 1,151 Chelsea fans who made the short trip north would have done so more out of hope than expectation, especially as Luton had won their last two matches and made life very difficult for Arsenal and Manchester City when they played here.

But credit must be given to the ease with which they swept past Luton in the first half – and held on, despite the late attack.

Above all, they were strong at both ends of the court. Firstly, they were clinical, with finishes on all three goals of the highest quality.

But unusually, Chelsea were initially very strong at the back, defending well against Luton’s strength from set pieces until all-too-familiar lapses in concentration late on ended any hopes of a first clean sheet on the road for almost three months.

Still, there was enough here for Pochettino to build on in 2024.

Good luck at CAN, Nicolas

It was Jackson’s final Premier League game with Chelsea before heading out on international duty with Senegal and the break could be just what he needs.

The 22-year-old has lost some of the self-confidence he had in abundance during pre-season, although a return of eight goals so far in his debut campaign at Chelsea is more than respectable.

A lack of spark has been evident in recent weeks however and there have been more examples at Kenilworth Road, although he spent most of the game on the left side of Chelsea’s attack rather than directly at medium.

Chelsea’s first goal was actually the result of a good run he made, but instead of finding a teammate, Jackson shot obediently from a narrow angle. Fortunately, Luton gave possession straight to Palmer, who found the bottom corner.

But a terrible throw-in, then a careless pass straight into touch, were the kind of incidents that put Chelsea fans on the back foot every week. Luton supporters were also increasingly frustrated by the ease with which he regularly fell to the ground.

It wasn’t all bad and it got better after the break. A fine run led to a shot from outside the box in the second half, although it was a fairly easy save for goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski, and it was his well-weighted ball that allowed Palmer to score Chelsea’s third goal.

But perhaps a good performance against Senegal over the next month will allow Jackson to return to a higher level.

Ross Barkley. Do you remember him ?

It may have been a losing cause, but this game showed how Barkley is more comfortable wearing a Luton jersey than a Chelsea jersey.

Barkley flattered to deceive at Chelsea after joining Everton for £15million in 2018. The sixth anniversary of his move south approaches next month and the midfielder won’t have many happy memories from the 100 appearances he he did for the London club.

Barkley impressed against his former team (John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

GO FURTHER

Barkley has been a revelation for Luton – his new deeper role seems to suit him

Playing for Chelsea impressed him, but the same cannot be said now at Luton. He has been in fine form for them in the Premier League after joining the club as a free agent in the summer following a spell at Nice.

There were plenty of nice touches in the Luton midfield this afternoon and they seemed to enjoy getting the better of their opponents. One spin had Conor Gallagher spinning, another first-time ball brought roars of approval from the home fans. A Levi Colwill charge run ended; the kind of intervention you didn’t see at Stamford Bridge. A beautiful free kick is sent just over the bar.

With time running out and Luton leading 3-0, it was Barkley’s fine header that gave the hosts hope of a dramatic late comeback.

What did Pochettino say?

“I’m so happy, so happy, because we have to give credit to Luton because if you see their previous games against Arsenal and Liverpool, they were so difficult to break down,” Pochettino told British channel TNT Sports. “They never give up. I want to congratulate Luton and Rob (Edwards, Luton manager) because they are doing a fantastic job.

“You can’t understand today how difficult it is to play here, even though you seem to control the game. It was a game we had to win but I think… it’s difficult here.

“I think that type of result, when you need your teammates to fight with you, I think it’s going to create a good thing. You have to be smart, push…. We have a lot of talent, but above all we have to compete with a team like Luton.

What future for Chelsea?

Saturday January 6: Preston North End (H), FA Cup, 17h30 GMT, 12h30 HE

A rare encounter with Preston, who are on only their second visit to Stamford Bridge since 1980. Preston have made an excellent start this season, top of the Championship after remaining unbeaten in the first seven games and although their form has fallen a little since then, they are still on the fringes of the play-offs.

GO FURTHER

The plan to bring proud Preston to the Premier League

Tuesday January 9: Middlesbrough (A), Coupe Carabao, 20h GMT, 15h HE

Great memories for fans of a certain age, recalling Roberto Di Matteo’s opening goal in that 1997 FA Cup final victory, as Chelsea headed north to face Middlesbrough in the first leg of that semi -final.

The Championship side made the play-offs last season but find themselves mid-table this time as they make up ground after failing to win any of their opening seven league matches.

The return takes place on January 23, with the winners facing Liverpool or Fulham at Wembley next month.

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(Photo du haut : Shaun Botterill/Getty Images))

2023-12-31 00:56:42
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