Chelsea secured a comfortable 4-2 victory against Gent in their first Conference League match, showcasing the depth of their squad with 11 changes from their previous Premier League lineup.
Defender Renato Veiga opened the scoring in the 12th minute, heading in a cross from Mykhailo Mudryk. The Blues doubled their lead just 49 seconds into the second half when Pedro Neto fired in a near-post finish after latching onto Axel Disasi’s long ball.
Gent briefly threatened a comeback as Tsuyoshi Watanabe’s 50th-minute header survived a VAR check for offside. However, Chelsea quickly reasserted their dominance. Christopher Nkunku netted his seventh goal of the season with a low shot in the 63rd minute, followed by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall turning in a finish after a defensive error by Watanabe.
The Belgian side managed a late consolation through Omri Gandelman, exploiting poor defending on Chelsea’s left flank.
This match highlighted the significant gap in resources between clubs in Europe’s third-tier competition. Chelsea’s squad, valued at an estimated £1.1 billion, is reportedly worth as much as the other 35 Conference League teams combined.
Manager Enzo Maresca’s selection demonstrated Chelsea’s impressive squad depth, with stars like Mudryk, Neto, Dewsbury-Hall, Nkunku, and Tosin Adarabioyo featuring. Notable omissions included Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, and Wesley Fofana, who are being rested for Thursday fixtures.
Chelsea’s ultimate aim in this competition is to become the first team to add a Conference League title to their previous Europa League and Champions League successes. The new 36-team league phase format sees Chelsea targeting a top-eight finish for automatic qualification to the knockout rounds.
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