‘a Special Night’—enzo Maresca Reacts To Chelsea’s Record-breaking Champions League Win

Chelsea made ray activity of Ajax successful nan Champions League connected Wednesday night, crushing nan out-of-form Dutch giants astatine Stamford Bridge successful a 5–1 scoreline.

What was peculiarly singular astir nan crippled was nan quality of nan Chelsea broadside that did it. Enzo Maresca made 10 changes from nan squad that started nan weekend’s Premier League triumph complete Nottingham Forest, pinch only 21-year-old Romeo Lavia keeping his place.

At 21, nan Belgian midfielder was a comparative seasoned of nan side. Tosin Adarabioyo, 27, was nan oldest.

Maresca handed starts to teenagers Marc Guiu, his first of nan play aft a indebtedness astatine Sunderland was cancelled, Jorrel Hato and Estêvão. Jamie Gittens, Facundo Bounanotte and nan aforementioned Lavia were each 21 aliases younger. The mean property of nan squad was 22 years, 163 days, making this nan 2nd youngest broadside ever named by an English nine successful nan Champions League—Arsenal still clasp nan grounds pinch a squad from 2009 aged 21 years, 151 days for a dormant rubber conclusion to Olympiacos.

Guiu opened nan scoring earlier Estêvão scored a punishment successful first-half stoppage time. Tyrique George came disconnected nan chair astatine half-time and netted Chelsea’s 5th of nan nighttime quickly afterwards.

At nan clip of his goal, 19-year-old Guiu became Chelsea’s youngster ever goalscorer successful a Champions League setting—the young Spaniard scored six successful past season’s Conference League. But that grounds lasted only 32 minutes, until 18-year-old Estêvão lowered it again. George, besides 19, is marginally younger than Guiu arsenic well, meaning he started nan nighttime by penning his sanction successful nan club’s history books and bizarrely finishing it by slipping to 3rd spot connected that list.

With 3 different teenagers uncovering nan nett successful nan aforesaid game, Chelsea became nan first nine successful Champions League to execute that peculiar feat.

Teenage talent was connected show successful westbound London. / Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images

“I’m very proud,” Maresca, who besides handed minutes to 17-year-old Reggie Walsh and 19-year-old Josh Acheampong disconnected nan bench, said successful response.

“It’s a typical nighttime for nan club, for nan young players. I deliberation Guiu already scored for Chelsea five aliases six goals past twelvemonth successful nan Conference League, Ty already scored besides successful nan Premier League and Estêvão is precisely nan same. It was a awesome night, particularly for these young players and for nan club.”

Discussing why nan players he chose to usage for nan crippled were truthful young, Maresca replied: “It’s nan strategy of nan club. We person truthful galore young players. I deliberation already past play we were nan youngest squad successful nan history of nan Premier League, truthful this play we proceed successful nan aforesaid way.”

With Lavia nan only subordinate leftover from nan lineup that began against Forest connected Saturday, Maresca explained that reshuffling en-masse was down to 1 awesome requirement: rotation.

“We changed coming from nan Forest crippled 10 players. It’s not easy from nan Premier League to nan Champions League to alteration truthful galore players, but we request to do that, different they are going to struggle because of galore games,” nan head explained.

“We request to protect immoderate of nan players. Tonight, I deliberation was besides bully because we could rotate players, particularly pinch nan reddish paper [for Ajax].”

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND MORE