Chelsea: Mudryk breaks goal drought as Chelsea got back to winning ways

Chelsea started the 2023/2024 campaign sluggishly which has seen them pick up one win and two draws from their opening six premier games, sitting 12th in their attempt to win the league; and also had yet to win away from home. Chelsea remained winless in their last three league games since they won against Luton Town and had failed to score with any of their previous 47 attempts on goal in the Premier League. Ten-man Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat on home soil against Aston Villa in their last league outing. The solid League Cup win over Brighton means there is a feel-good factor for the Blues to work with. Bigger challenges await with some tough fixtures on the horizon, but there are signs they are building a slither of momentum.
Mykhailo Mudryk got his first goal for Chelsea at long last, amid much criticism of his performances since an £88m transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk. The former Shakhtar Donetsk player became the first Ukrainian scorer for the Blues since Andriy Shevchenko vs. Bolton in May 2008. He opened his account for the visitors on 18 minutes when Moises Caicedo delivered a wide pass to Colwill to run on to through the touchline. Levi Colwill’s delightful lofted center pass was perfectly weighted for Mudryk to chest the ball down and coolly net with a left-footed strike through Bernd Leno’s legs on his 24th appearance for the club.
Nicolas Jackson was suspended which paved the way for Armando Broja who is making his first start for the club since November 2022 after he was sidelined with a knee injury. The 22-year-old Albanian utilized his chance to lead the blues attack, constantly causing panic in the Fulham side with direct and powerful running. The Blues doubled the lead as Armando Broja scored Leno after a poor clearance from Ream. Broja’s goal eased some of the pressure on boss Mauricio Pochettino and boosted his faith in him in the absence of the suspended Nicolas Jackson, hence, netting his first goal just under a year following his recent recovery from a long-term ACL injury. After the match, Armando Broja spoke to Sky Sports and said:
“It’s a massive boost for us. We’re a whole new team this season and it’s showing that we’re all gelling as a team. It’s amazing. As a striker, you always want to score. It’s an unbelievable feeling to score in the derby. When you win games, it brings confidence”.
However, despite notable players among the home side’s starting lineup, such as the former Chelsea attacker, Willian, who won two Premier League titles with the club, Fulham failed to score. Though they improved after the break but still struggled to create much pressure on the visitors and Chelsea almost added a third past the hour when substitute Ian Maatsen side-footed an effort against the far post.
The result at the Craven Cottage moves Chelsea up to 11th position with just their second top-flight victory of the season after seven matches. The Blues are now level on points with 13th-placed Fulham who are below the Blues on goal difference. Hence, Chelsea will now hope to build upon the victory when they visit Burnley on Saturday, while Fulham plays against Sheffield United at home.
Mauricio Pochettino reacting after the game about the Blues’ second Premier League win of the season, speaking to Sky Sports said: “It was important for us to build our confidence. “The performance was very good, and I am so happy for the players because we got we deserved.”
On Mykhailo Mudryk, he said: “He’s unlucky because he felt something at half time. We hope it’s not a big issue, and hopefully, he can recover for the next game.”