Chelsea thrash Noah 8-0: Blues set Europa Conference League record, Maresca reacts; WATCH every goal scored

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 8, 2024, 1:25 PM IST

Chelsea stormed to an emphatic 8-0 victory over Armenian side Noah at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, strengthening their position at the top of the Europa Conference League group standings.

Chelsea stormed to an emphatic 8-0 victory over Armenian side Noah at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, strengthening their position at the top of the Europa Conference League group standings. A clinical first-half performance saw the Blues net six goals, with a brace from Joao Felix and a solid showing from several key players.

Manager Enzo Maresca made the most of his squad depth, rotating the team extensively, including handing an 18-year-old Cobham graduate, Tyrique George, his first senior start for the club. The changes worked wonders, as Chelsea dominated from the outset.

Highlights from our emphatic UEFA Conference League victory. 🍿 | pic.twitter.com/8owU7RV0yB

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

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Centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo opened the scoring early with his first goal for Chelsea, heading in from a corner. Just minutes later, Marc Guiu doubled the lead with his maiden goal for the club, after a mix-up in Noah’s defense. Another well-executed corner from Enzo Fernandez saw Axel Disasi rise highest to make it 3-0, before Fernandez himself set up Joao Felix for the fourth, with a precise pass that allowed the Portuguese forward to finish comfortably.

Mykhailo Mudryk added a fifth just before the half-hour mark, and Felix completed his brace shortly before the break, with a deflected effort that left Noah’s goalkeeper helpless. By the time the half-time whistle blew, Chelsea had a commanding 6-0 lead.

Despite a more subdued second half, Chelsea continued to assert their dominance. Christopher Nkunku, who had already scored four goals in as many Conference League appearances this season, added two more to the tally. The Frenchman first pounced on his own rebound to make it 7-0, before converting a penalty for Chelsea’s eighth and final goal of the night.

The victory not only set a new record for the biggest winning margin in Conference League history but also marked Chelsea’s largest win since an 8-0 triumph over Aston Villa in December 2012.

Chelsea showed they are a 'serious' team: Maresca

Following the win, Maresca emphasised the importance of professionalism, saying: “The most important thing is that we are serious, we are professional. This is the right thing we needed to show tonight. We have to be serious. It’s never easy, as I said before: football is full of surprises. If you are not ready mentally, if you do not take it seriously, you can drop against any team."

Despite the heavy scoreline, he remained focused on the lessons his team could learn, cautioning them against underestimating opponents.

“In the first five minutes we conceded a chance. So you can learn, as I said, if you concede there, the game will change. You have to always be focused, you cannot drop. Don’t underestimate nothing because football is full of this kind of surprise. We don’t need that," he said.

In a nod to the future, Maresca also gave opportunities to young players, with George making his full debut and Samuel Rak-Sakyi impressing in a second-half cameo. George, who was only informed of his start two hours before the match, handled the pressure well, according to Maresca.

"With young players, sometimes it is better to tell them the day before so they can prepare but with some of them, tell them at the end so they don’t get nervous. The plan with Tyrique, we knew already he was going to start but I told him just two hours before the game. I think he was very good," the Chelsea boss added.

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