ZAPPED!
Zappacosta smashes howitzer as Chelsea hit minnows for six
DAVIDE ZAPPACOSTA’S stunning first-half strike set Chelsea on their way to an emphatic win against Azerbaijani side Qarabag on their Champions League return.
Zappacosta, who arrived from Torino in a £22.5million deal on deadline day, lit up Stamford Bridge with an outrageous effort on the half-hour mark.
The Blues full back shrugged off two defenders on a dazzling solo run down the right touchline, then fired in a cross which caught keeper Ibrahim Sehic off guard from 30 yards out.
Goals from Pedro, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko and two from Michy Batshuayi completed the rout.
Zappacosta said: ‘It was a dream debut. I’m happy for myself, but mainly for the victory to get us going well in the Champions League. I wanted to cross, but I caught it well and it ended up in the goal. They’ve welcomed me well. I hope it continues!’
Sterner tests await, for certain, but Chelsea made an emphatic return to the Champions League and may have discovered a new cult hero.
Davide Zappacosta marked his home debut with an outrageous goal. In truth it was a fluke yet it lifted Stamford Bridge and stunned Qarabag, the minnows from Azerbaijan.
never mind Diego Costa, still AWOL amid reports he is in Madrid inching towards a move to Atletico. All hail Zappacosta with his striking surname and apparent mastery of the disguised cross. His strike was the second of the night and he was still charging up the flank to create the sixth for Michy Batshuayi in the closing minutes.
Pedro rodriguez soothed boss Antonio Conte’s nerves with a fifth-minute opener and Cesar Azpilicueta nodded in the third, soon after the interval.
tiemoue Bakayoko, on as a substitute, scored his first Chelsea goal with the help of a deflection and Batshuayi helped himself to a couple as the visitors wilted. More importantly for Conte, here was a fourth successive victory since the shock defeat by Burnley.
the Premier League champions are gathering momentum, a commodity he values highly.
Since the transfer window closed, Chelsea are looking once again like the ruthless machine they were last year: intense and focused on whatever task is to hand, revved up by a high-energy manager on the touchline.
Conte claimed there were risks involved in resting five players against a team with nothing to lose on their Champions League debut. With Atletico Madrid and roma to come, he was aware no cheap points could be surrendered at this stage.
Ahead of the game he explained about the energysapping sequence of seven games in 21 days which culminates against Manchester City. As it turned out, Qarabag made it easier for him. they got off to a bright enough start, twice getting behind Marcos Alonso in the first two minutes, before Chelsea took a grip and refused to let go.
Ibrahim Sehic, in goal for the visitors, began what was to be a busy shift with saves from Alonso and Batshuayi. then he was beaten for the first time by Pedro, who swept a first-time strike inside the post when Willian collected a short corner and found him on the fringes of the penalty area.
Willian forced another save from Sehic and Batshuayi was unable to convert the rebound before Zappacosta introduced himself to his new public.
Half an hour had gone when the athletic wing back, signed from torino on deadline day, strode across the halfway line, shrugging off two challenges as he went.
He glanced up to check his options — Batshuayi and Pedro were up in support — then bamboozled Sehic with a mis-hit cross which swerved over the head of the goalkeeper and into the net.
the unlikely scorer wheeled away and basked in the reaction as Chelsea fans sang, ‘Zappacosta, he scores when he wants’. Victor Moses, his rival for the role on the right, was jokingly cuddled by Willy Caballero and David Luiz amid much hilarity on the bench. When the ball came Zappacosta’s way again, the home crowd encouraged him to go for goal. this time he could not oblige, but any trace of tension was gone. nobody expected Qarabag to find a way back into this — including the visitors, it seemed. With a remarkable backstory, they have made impressive progress from the brink of extinction and are in Group C for the experience. On this evidence they will take a few beatings and Chelsea
cruised through the second half, Azpilicueta celebrating his first Champions League goal with a simple header.
Willian rolled a free-kick short to Cesc Fabregas who was afforded all the time he needed to find his fellow Spaniard with a clipped pass from the outside of his right boot. Azpilicueta nodded it past Sehic from eight yards.
It was the cue for Conte to make changes and replace those who will be central to his plans against Arsenal on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger’s team play tomorrow in the Europa League in what promises to be a tougher test against Cologne. You can almost hear the excuses already.
Willian rattled the bar with a dipping shot and Bakayoko’s goal came from a cross by Eden Hazard and some heavy-legged defending in the penalty area.
Batshuayi got in on the act with his first goals of the season, both from close range. Chelsea made the right impression as they returned to the Champions League and Conte’s squad kept plenty in the tank for the Gunners.