The mission was simple for Chelsea: secure victory over fourth-tier opposition, pump up the confidence of the reserves and maintain this period of relative happiness at Stamford Bridge. The job was done quickly, with Christopher Nkunku scoring twice inside 15 minutes to set up an easy evening against Barrow.
Nkunku was the central actor, his hat-trick – and Chelsea’s fifth – delivered an hour of play later. But the host forward line all had moments of sparkle. João Félix showed imagination behind Nkunku, Mykhailo Mudryk had moments of electricity on the left and Pedro Neto, on the right, scored his first for the club. It was all too much for Barrow, though their supporters remained in good voice till the close, savouring the journey if not all that enamoured by what the destination had to offer.
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Chelsea entered this fixture enjoying a rare period of tranquillity, this highly comical club suddenly looking a bit more serious under Enzo Maresca, unbeaten in the league since their opening weekend defeat to Manchester City. As expected, they showed off their healthy stockpile of early 20-something weaponry, bringing in an entirely new XI for the visit of the League Two leaders. The unfavoured Ben Chilwell, a Champions League winner in 2021, made the bench.
How would Barrow, in the third round of this competition for the first time since the 1960s, show their confidence in the early moments? Through a venture forward or with a compact defensive shape, outlining 90 minutes of resistance? There was joy to be found even before the thrill of the whistle: their travelling support roared through the warm-ups from the east corner of the Shed End, reminding everyone what this occasion meant to a club who returned to the Football League in 2020 after 48 years away.
But reality came quickly and with cute directness. Félix found room in a midfield pocket and scooped the ball over the visiting backline for Nkunku to latch on to inside the area. The eyes remained on the ball as it dropped for the first-time sidefooted finish past Paul Farman. It had taken just eight minutes.
For Nkunku the cups are where he must make his case to Maresca, the bench his current home in the league. Here he was hyperactive in his showmanship, fancy one-touch play to go with the goals, his second arriving not long after the first. It was the product of some fine work down the right-hand side, Neto making room for Malo Gusto to overlap and send in a ball towards the near post. Nkunku arrived for the backflick to set up the chase for a hat-trick.
Farman, Barrow’s captain, would have known beforehand of the challenge awaiting him. But he wouldn’t have predicted the misfortune that befell him just before the half-hour mark. Félix’s free-kick from central shooting range rattled the post, before deflecting off Farman into the net for an own goal. Stephen Clemence continued to direct from the sides as his men ran hard, damage limited for the rest of the half.
Yet the carnage continued quickly after play resumed, any half-time wisdom from Clemence lost to the blue wave that engulfed the Barrow goal. Nkunku was a central figure again, taking in a bouncing ball the visitors could not clear before playing in Mykhailo Mudryk, advancing on the left. The Ukrainian squared for Neto, who did his bit for nominative determinism.
Barrow had brief moments to reward their faithful. Farman made a couple of fine saves – a one-hander to deny Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the standout – and Kian Spence tested Filip Jörgensen with his free-kick prowess. There was a moment of pinball chaos in the 69th minute, but the ball would not drop for anyone to smash home a consolation.
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Chelsea offered no hints of imploding as Maresca rolled on the substitutes, providing them with some precious playing time. Chilwell was sent on at half-time and received plenty of love from the home supporters as he merrily skipped down the left-hand side for what could be a rare runout this year.
Nkunku’s third was of his own making, hassling poor Farman – who was trying to make room to clear from his area – before dispossessing the goalkeeper to slot into an empty net. Maresca gave a nod to theatricality, immediately calling for the striker to be subbed off, to take in a thunderous ovation, his first hat-trick for the club thoroughly clinical. Off Nkunku walked, this firmly his night.
