Chelsea 3-0 Club America LIVE RESULT: Blues recover from Celtic loss to seal first win of Maresca era – updates
CHELSEA picked up their first win of the Enzo Maresca era with a 3-0 victory over Club America on their US pre-season tour last night.
Maresca's Blues got hammered by Scottish giants Celtic last weekend but put things right with a dominant win over the Mexican side in Georgia.
Kick-off - Chelsea 2-0 Club America
46. We're off again in Atlanta!
Chelsea were expected to make changes at the break, and they have - but only two.
They are significant ones, mind. Firstly, it's the return of Enzo Fernandez, who is back in the Chelsea fold after a successful and dubious summer.
And there's also a first appearance for Filip Jorgensen, the goakeeper signed yesterday from Villarreal.
Robert Sanchez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have made way.
First half facts and figures
Attacking dominance from the Premier League side.
Credit: chelseafc.com Half-time - Chelsea 2-0 Club America
Chelsea's best 45 minutes of football in pre-season so far sees them two goals to the good at the break.
The first came from the penalty spot, awarded inside the opening 90 seconds for a foul on Lavia that looked clearcut at the time but less so in the replays since.
Christopher Nkunku did the honours from 12 yards before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall set up Marc Guiu to head in the second.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
45. There will be two minutes added on at the end of a first half that has been very productive for and very impressive by Chelsea.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
44. Christian Calderon will be having nightmares about Noni Madueke this evening.
The left-back is once again given the runaround by the Chelsea man before he cuts it back to Nkunku, whose clever shot without any backlift almost creeps in at the near post.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
42. The Club America substitutes and staff have taken offence too something that's happened on the near side of the pitch.
To a man they are up and complaining, but the referee is having none of it.
Who doesn't enjoy a touchline fracas, especially in a pre-season friendly?
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
40. Another Chelsea chance goes begging!
Madueke sets it up brilliantly, twisting and turning beyond Calderon to reach the byline and then pulling back for the advanced Gusto.
The full-back's effort is expertly blocked, and then another Chelsea player drives the follow up wide. I'm not sure who it was, but let's say it was Dewsbury-Hall again.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
38. Madueke's pace and power is causing the Club America defenders all kinds of problems.
Unfortunately, Madueke's finishing and passing is causing Madueke all kinds of problems.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
36. A glimpse of an attacking threat from Club America captain Henry Martin.
The striker wriggles away from Tosin on the left of the area, but is closed down before he can get a solid shot away.
The best he can muster is a panicked toe-poke that whistles wide of the near post.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
34. Chelsea are tearing the opponents apart.
Lavia starts it with a burst through the midfield he has dominated, and then slips in Malo Gusto, who in turn recycles the ball on to Nkunku.
With time and space to pick out a teammate, the French forward finds the run of Dewsbury-Hall, whose first time effort is blocked behind by a defender.
The new signing from Leicester cannot believe it. In another game, he could have had a first half hat-trick to his name.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
31. More free-flowing stuff from Chelsea takes from one goalmouth to another.
It starts with some fancy footwork from Robert Sanchez, who plays out neatly from the back to Nkunku.
He links up with an inverted James, and the captain sends the ball on to Madueke on the right.
On the run, Madueke teases his marker before beating him, only to falter at the final moment by not getting his shot away as Malagon raced out to smother.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
28. Wholesale changes are expected from the Premier League club at half-time, and the new-look side will have plenty to live up to after this first half showing.
The Blues are looking as cohesive a unit as they have in a long time.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
26. Confidence appears to be oozing through this Chelsea team now, and it's highlighted by Madueke.
The forward takes charge of a short corner on the right, waltzes through two defenders and curls a shot narrowly wide of the far post.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America
23. Lavia has been brilliant so far but he's blotted his copybook here with a late foul that brings him the game's first yellow card.
The midfielder goes in strongly on Calderon, and is rightly cautioned.
Chelsea 2-0 Club America - Goal!
21. Chelsea have their second!
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall may not have brought his shooting boots to Atlanta, but he's served up an exquisite assist for Marc Guiu.
The midfielder's delicious cross from the left touchline is met at the near post by the teenage striker with goalkeeper Luis Malagon in no-man's land.
The ball is helped over the line by Cristian Calderon, and would probably go down as an own-goal in an official game.
But I'm going to act as the dubious goal panel here, and I say Chelsea's new 18-year-old ace can have that one.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
20. Twenty minutes in here, and this is already much better from Chelsea than what was served up against Wrexham and Celtic.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
19. Dewsbury-Hall misses the target again!
The midfielder takes over after Sterling wins back possession from Richard Sanchez in his own defensive third.
The former Leicester ace considers returning the ball to Sterling, but instead uses the forward by not using him, subsequently making the room to drag his shot wide of the far post.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
17. It should be two!
Lavia - who else? - sends Sterling race down the left, and his centre is perfect for Dewsbury-Hall.
But the Leicester man, possibly rusty in his first pre-season appearance, sidefoots wildly over the crossbar from 15 yards.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
15. Club America are starting to impose a bit of pressdure on the Chelsea backline now.
But Lavia continues to boss the midfield, snapping away at his opponents, and then spreading play quickly when in possession.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
12. Great save by Robert Sanchez!
The Chelsea goalkeeper leaps acrobatically through the air to turn away a Dilrosun curler from 25 yards that looked destined for the top corner.
An excellent shot, and an even better stop.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
10. Tosin finds Madueke with a lovely raking pass down the right flank.
That kind of play out of defence was one of the centre-back's trademarks at Fulham.
It's just a shame that the other was a bone-headed error due to a lapse in concentration that allowed the opposition in to score a late equaliser against the run of play.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
8. Malagon saves from Guiu!
It's another crisp build-up from the Blues with Lavia once again excelling.
The former Southampton man finds Dewsbury-Hall, who slips a smart ball through for the striker to shoot first time at the Club America keeper.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America
5. Club America have been rocked somewhat by that blistering Chelsea start but the Mexicans are trying to force their way back into the match.
On a break down the left, Blues keeper Robert Sanchez has to mop up outside his box to stop an attack from developing into anything really dangerous.
Chelsea 1-0 Club America - Goal!
3. Christopher Nkunku makes no mistake from the spot!
The Frenchman has now scored in each of Chelsea's three pre-season matches, and for the second time does the business from 12 yards.
There's nothing fancy with the finish, a powerful low blast down the centre that does for Luis Malagon in the Club America goal.
Does Cole Palmer have a rival for spotkicks this coming season?
Chelsea 0-0 Club America - Penalty to Chelsea!
2. The Blues have a very early spotkick!
Club America thought they had done the hard bit in clearing Reece James' corner from the left, but enter Romeo Lavia.
The midfielder scampers down the right touchline away from two opponents and turns into the area.
Bursting to the touchline, Lavia is too quick and too clever for Cristian Calderon, whose brainless lunge brings the Chelsea man down.
The referee promptly points for a stonewall penalty, and the Blues have an early chance to grab the lead.
