Chelsea – Ajax: Young Blues Smash Five Past Ten Man Ajax At Stamford Bridge (5-1)

A youthful Chelsea smashed five goals past a hapless Ajax at Stamford Bridge after the Dutch side were reduced to ten men in the first half. An early red for Kenneth Taylor saw the Blues capitalise, scoring four in the first half and one in the second half while Ajax just got a consolation via Wout Weghorst’s first half penalty. The win saw Chelsea move into 11th in the UEFA Champions League table as Ajax sit bottom.

Tactical analysis and match report by Gaurav Krishnan.

It was a familiar night under the lights at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea lined up against Ajax in the Champions League. The Blues ended their hiatus from the competition this season after qualifying in 4th in the Premier League last season under Enzo Maresca. Maresca’s first season brought silverware in the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, and arguably Chelsea are back where the club belongs, i.e. amongst the elite, battling for top domestic and European honours.

Going into this game against Ajax, the Blues found themselves in a rich run of good form. Chelsea were on a three-game winning streak in all competitions ahead of this game versus Ajax, after beating Benfica on a poignant night of Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bridge and then beating Liverpool in dramatic fashion in the Premier League as Estevao clinched the winner in the 90+6th minute, while a straightforward 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest, that also subsequently led to the sacking of Ange Postecoglu, meant that Chelsea won three on the trot.

On this particular night, however, the Blues let . . .