Morning News: Nkunku shines, Madueke remains cool – Chelsea player ratings for the second half against Club America
Chelsea secured their first win of the 2024 pre-season with a victory over Club America.
Christopher Nkunku gave Chelsea an early lead with a penalty, and shortly after, Cristian Calderon’s own goal increased their advantage. In the second half, Noni Madueke scored from another penalty, awarded after Nkunku was fouled, making it 3-0 for Enzo Maresca’s team. Below, Bobby Vincent provides ratings for the second-half performers:
Filip Jorgensen – Made his debut at halftime. He didn’t have much to do but showed his distribution skills occasionally, including a notable pass to Armando Broja in the 75th minute. Rating: 6.
Reece James – A solid performance from the captain before being substituted on the hour mark. Rating: 6.
Tosin Adarabioyo – Displayed impressive defending and passing throughout. Rating: 6.5.
Benoit Badiashile – Improved significantly from his previous game at Notre Dame. Played the basics well but appeared to pick up a slight injury. Rating: 6.
Malo Gusto – Performed well by inverting from the left-back position. Good to see Enzo Maresca experimenting with full-backs. Substituted due to injury. Rating: 6.
Romeo Lavia – Delivered an impressive performance, making it smart to bring him on at the hour mark. Rating: 7.
Enzo Fernandez – Came on at halftime to a mixed reception. Showed class with some nice touches and passes. Rating: 6.5.
Christopher Nkunku – Less involved in the second half but used his skill to win the penalty that Noni Madueke converted. Rating: 8.
**Noni Madueke** – Converted his penalty with composure, scoring a well-taken goal. Rating: 7.5.
Raheem Sterling – Was quiet before being substituted in the 60th minute. Rating: 5.5.
Marc Guiu – Lively and exciting, though less impactful than in the first half. Rating: 6.5.
Substitutes:
Renato Veiga – Good to see him on the pitch. Rating: 6.
Wesley Fofana – Gained more minutes but was largely untested. Rating: 6.
Mykhailo Mudryk – Didn’t see enough involvement. Rating: 5.5.
Armando Broja – Came close to scoring shortly after his introduction but missed a crucial one-on-one opportunity in the 75th minute. Rating: 5.5.
Lesley Ugochukwu – Continues to impress in pre-season. Rating: 6.5.
Ben Chilwell – Played the final 20 minutes and made a crucial goal-saving block. Rating: 7.