Maurizio Sarri limps on, his tenure surely extended to a Wembley cup final on Sunday and that daunting collision with Manchester City at the very least. Chelsea may have left it late to impose themselves properly on Malmö and smooth passage into the last 16 of the Europa League but, at present, any kind of victory is to be celebrated by head coach and club alike.
There had been periods in both games when the Premier League side had seemed stretched by Swedish opponents essentially still in pre-season, but as the visitors tired, their numbers depleted after Rasmus Bengtsson’s dismissal for a pair of desperate fouls, Chelsea’s quality told. It was fitting Callum Hudson-Odoi, one of the few in home ranks whose display had not initially been cramped by nerves, should fizz in the third goal late on, even if there was an irony he had made the occasion feel so comfortable given how hard the 18-year-old has found it to convince Sarri he deserves proper involvement.
Written by Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/feb/21/chelsea-malmo-europea-league-round-32-second-leg-match-report under the title “Callum Hudson-Odoi seals comfortable win for Chelsea over Malmö”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
