Chelsea 7 Grimsby 1: Batshuayi bags two and Hudson-Odoi nets on return as Lampard’s men maul Mariners
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FRANK LAMPARD got his first home win in style with Chelsea’s biggest in more than six years.
A squad including ten academy graduates saw off League Two opposition to finally give the fans at Stamford Bridge a victory to cheer.
It is the biggest winning margin since Chelsea spanked Aston Villa 8-0 in December 2012.
The line-up also saw the return from injury for teenage winger Callum Hudson-Odoi playing his first game since rupturing an Achilles tendon in April.
Yet the old guard set Chelsea on their way as Ross Barkley, Pedro plus Michy Batshuayi and Kurt Zouma scored the goals to help get boss Lampard off the mark on home soil.
Grimsby pulled it back to 2-1 at one point with a sensational goal from winger Matt Green before crumbling in the second half.
The one blip is that Chelsea have conceded at least one goal in all nine of Lampard’s games since he took charge in the summer.
Barkley put the Premier League side ahead in only the fourth minute with a low right footed drive after a run into the box.
Batshuayi made it 2-0 three minutes after that by converting a cross from debutant right back Reece James.
Green then rocked the home side when he latched onto a long ball upfield and squeezed between defenders Zouma and greenhorn Marc Guehi to unleash a brilliant lob from the edge of the box.
Chelsea restored their two goal cushion from the spot when Zouma was fouled by goalscorer Green.
But despite Lampard’s insistence that Barkley is his designated penalty taker, Pedro did the honours from the spot.
Barkley had missed a late penalty nine days ago in a 1-0 Champions League loss at home to Valencia but claimed he was ready to take the responsibility again.
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Zouma turned home a James cross with the outside of his boot eleven minutes into the second half.
Lampard gave debutants to four players in all on an experimental night - bringing on 17-year-olds Tino Anjorin and Ian Maatsen in the second half.
James scored the fifth with nine minutes left to score his first goal for the club and Batshuayi added the sixth with still time for Hudson-Odoi to mark his comeback with the seventh.
