Nico Jackson is Chelsea's signing of the summer... so far! Six things we learned as the striker leads the Blues past Wrexham
Nico Jackson assisted two, Ian Maatsen bagged a brace, and Christopher Nkunku got off the mark as Chelsea put away Wrexham in North Carolina
Chelsea's youngsters enjoyed a solid first half, and the veterans sealed things in the second as Chelsea dispatched Wrexham, 5-0, in their first preseason contest. Maatsen opened the scoring after a surging run from Jackson, who evaded three defenders before feeding the Dutchman for an easy close-range finish. The two linked up for another just before half time, with Maatsen this time finding the bottom corner from outside the box.
Wrexham, for their part, had some moments, but failed to register a shot on target despite extended spells of pressure in the first half.
Mauricio Pochettino made a glut of changes at the break, introducing Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell. They took their time, but the new faces eventually helped Chelsea pull away. Gallagher was first, making it 3-0 with a neat side-footed finish from the edge of the box with 15 minutes remaining. Then Nkunku had his moment, scoring Chelsea's fourth, before assisting the fifth — a fine chip from Chilwell with the last kick of the game.
Pochetinno's new-look Blues didn't always have control here. And there will certainly be further changes to the squad in the weeks to come. But with youngsters staking their claim and veterans having an impact, the new manager won't have too many complaints.
GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Kenan Memorial Stadium...
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