Chelsea beat Bristol Rovers 3-2 in the second round of the EFL Cup thanks to two goals and an assist from new signing Michy Batshuayi.
Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi reacts after a disallowed goal
The striker signed from Marseille for £33 million during the summer and has wasted no time in endearing himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful.
The 22-year-old came on to set up Diego Costa’s winner in the 2-1 win over West Ham, whilst last weekend he scored the equaliser against Watford having also started on the substitutes’ bench.
Batshuayi’s performance could not disguise what was on the whole a disappointing showing from Antonio Conte’s men against Rovers, who currently sit 18th in League One.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Chelsea had 28 shots on goal with 12 on target, whilst Rovers only had 7 shots of which three were on target.
The Blues might have paid for their profligacy in front of goal were it not for the Belgian’s interventions.
He even had the ball in the net for his hat-trick but it was ruled out for offside.
What will be most worrying for Conte and his men is that they managed to concede two goals to a side languishing 58 places below them in the Football League, and who have managed no more than one goal in their four league games thus far this season, including in defeats to Scunthorpe and Bolton.
Had Ellis Harrison not hit the crossbar and succeeded in finding the net late in the second-half, a vibrant Rovers side could have come away with more than just a valiant defeat.
Harrison scored Rovers’ second from the penalty spot and later hit the woodwork
Chelsea fans took to Twitter after the game to bemoan the performance of their defence, imploring their new manager to use the final week of the transfer window to strengthen his options.
Having been linked with Alessio Romagnoli, Kalidou Koulibaly and Nikola Maksimovic, Conte is in the market for defensive options and the club’s fans would certainly like to see a new defender be the priority, rather than seeking big-money moves for the likes of James Rodriguez or Mario Mandzukic.
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The Blues take on Burnley on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge where, despite their defensive worries, they will be confident of building on their 100% start to the Premier League season.
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