What Mykhailo Mudryk did off-camera that delight Enzo Maresca in 4-1 Chelsea
Chelsea produced a very strong away performance to beat Panathinaikos in Athens.
Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk was one of the standout players as Chelsea delivered a solid performance to beat Greek side Panathinaikos 2-0 in Athens. Ahead of the game, Chelsea’s manager made a crucial decision by leaving Mudryk out of the lineup against Liverpool, aiming to elicit a strong response from his £60million star.
And he got the response he was looking for. Instead of showing frustration, Mudryk made a point of staying close to his manager when he could before the game, and he maintained communication with the bench throughout the match.
His focus paid off as he set up Joao Felix for the opener, a moment that surely pleased his manager. He then added a goal of his own, helping secure Chelsea’s two-goal lead. The fact that he scored and provided two assists is a positive sign, but what would please his manager, even more, is how he continuously absorbed instructions and displayed a strong desire to be involved, always wanting the ball. This attitude could influence the decision-making for the upcoming weekend’s match against Newcastle.
Chelsea have found a balance between playing on Thursdays and Sundays, utilizing their squad depth, and the results are showing. They are now joint top of their Conference League group and in a strong position in the league.
Another player who seized his opportunity in the match against Panathinaikos was Joao Felix, who scored a brace. While he would have liked to complete a hat trick, he put the team first as Christopher Nkunku took the penalty. Having been overlooked for the Liverpool game, Felix will now hope that his performance has done enough to earn him a place in the lineup for the weekend’s game against Newcastle.