Hudson-Odoi shines on Fabregas farewell
Hudson-Odoi’s future at Stamford Bridge may be in doubt, with Bayern Munich prepared to bid £30million, but Chelsea should do all they can to get the 18-year-old winger signed on a long-term contract after his role in this win over a stubborn Nottingham Forest.
Alvaro Morata scored twice early in the second half and each time HudsonOdoi was the creator, underlining Maurizio Sarri’s point that Chelsea need a reliable provider of crosses to get the best out of the struggling Spaniard.
While his goals here should help his confidence, two glaring misses suggested how low it had become.
The first came in the 13th minute, when David Zappacosta’s cross bounced invitingly head-high six yards from goal. Morata only had to direct the ball either side of Forest goalkeeper Luke Steele but headed straight at him.
Worse was to come 10 minutes into the second half, when Morata spooned an easy chance over the bar from three yards. However, he scored either side of that howler, with Hudson-Odoi providing the ammunition.
Four minutes into the second half, the teenager drove in a low cross that Morata ran in to the net from close range. He produced a deeper, looping cross 10 minutes later that gave Morata the simple task of heading past Steele from close range.
Afterwards, Chelsea assistant coach Carlo Cudicini said of Morata: “I think he played an important part of the performance. It was very important for him to score two goals. Hopefully he will be more free in his mind. He has the possibility to score 20 goals. He is a great striker.” Morata’s goals proved enough to kill off Forest’s spirited resistance after Steele saved a penalty from Cesc Fabregas, who is expected to join Monaco soon. When the Spaniard was replaced by N’Golo Kante five minutes from the end, Fabregas applauded all four sides of the stadium.
He was even more emotional after the final whistle, walking back out on to the pitch and appearing to wipe away tears as he said his goodbyes to the supporters. There is still a chance he could play in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Wembley, against Tottenham, but it is more likely he will be a Monaco player sooner rather than later.
The future could be bright for Chelsea, especially if they can persuade Hudson-Odoi to stay. The youngster hit the woodwork and had another shot well saved. Morata, for one, will be hoping the English youngster can be persuaded to stay.