Liam Rosenior made the bold call to hand Mamadou Sarr a start against Hull City, and it paid off as the young defender played a key role in Chelsea’s 4-0 win on Friday night.
The Senegalese prospect may still be a mystery to many Chelsea supporters, but not to Rosenior. The two already know each other well from Sarr’s loan spell under the Englishman at Strasbourg earlier in the season.
It has been quite the year for the 20-year-old. He joined Chelsea permanently last summer, took part in the Club World Cup, went back on loan to Strasbourg, won the African Cup of Nations with Senegal, and then returned to Stamford Bridge.
Friday marked just his second appearance for Chelsea. His debut came as a late substitute in the Club World Cup against ES Tunis, but this was his first time in the starting XI – and he certainly grabbed attention.
Mamadou Sarr joins select group after 4-0 win
Despite the game being against Championship opposition, Sarr’s passing numbers stood out. He completed 101 of his 103 passes, which is the most by any Chelsea centre-back this season.
It was also Rosenior’s third clean sheet in his 11th match in charge. Alan Shearer noted Sarr’s strong showing, and the win placed him among a rare group of players.
Over the past two decades, just four Chelsea players have debuted with a win by four goals or more. The Senegalese defender now joins that list alongside Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata and Deco.
Back in 1997, Gianluca Vialli made his first start for Chelsea in a similarly dominant fashion, helping his side to a 6-0 win over Barnsley at Stamford Bridge.
Mamadou Sarr joins short list of Chelsea debut winners
Deco’s first start came 11 years after Vialli’s debut, which was a 4-0 win over Portsmouth. The current Barcelona sporting director also hit the net with a stunning goal from distance.
Nine years later, Alvaro Morata added his name to the list by scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win against Stoke City after his move from Real Madrid.
Gonzalo Higuain followed soon after, finding the net twice in a 5-0 victory over Huddersfield Town. Now Sarr has joined that group, and it’s hard to imagine him making a better impression on his full debut.
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