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CHelsea could not beat their best score in the Champions League group stage, but head coach Frank Lampard may draw something even more valuable for the future of the club from this draw against Krasnodar.
Already qualified as the Group E winner, Chelsea could have improved their highest points total, set 10 years ago, with another win. In the end, Lampard’s Blues fell to a point, but in Billy Gilmour and Tino Anjorin, Chelsea has two more gems to be cherished.
Midfielder Gilmour was Chelsea’s standout player in his first start since July, having returned from injury, while teammate Anjorin made an encouraging debut in the Champions League.
It was a penalty from Jorginho that earned the locals a point, but it was the impact of Gilmour, in particular, and Anjorin that will most please the 2,000 Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had his first start at Chelsea since a 3-3 draw with Southampton in October, but it only took 24 minutes for the Spaniard to be defeated. He would have been hoping for a clean sheet against the Russians, but hadn’t made a single save before the visitors took the lead. However, he was unable to do much to prevent former Newcastle United midfielder Remy Cabella from finding the net, after the Chelsea defense opened up in front of him.
Kepa had seen Tonny Vilhena take a shot over the crossbar and Viktor Claesson swerved into the goal before Cabella’s goal.
Chelsea responded immediately and Gilmour was involved as he drove into the Krasnodar area, Mateo Kovacic played Tammy Abraham and Kaio Pantaleao fouled him in the box.
Abraham wanted to shoot the resulting penalty himself, but Jorginho ignored him and scored from the spot, Abraham being the first player to congratulate him.
Returning fans should have been celebrating again soon after, but Abraham was unable to make his effort on goal after Kai Havertz, who had been backed up by head coach Frank Lampard before kick-off, failed to score the goal. . The German returned that support by being Chelsea’s most creative player in the first half. He played an early pass to Gilmour, whose shot was deflected wide, and nearly found Abraham with a dangerous cross.
Anjorin had his first start on the left side of Chelsea’s three forwards and the 19-year-old certainly did not lack confidence, as he was aggressive in both attack and defense. His best contribution in the first half came in the 19th minute, when Alyaksandr Martynovich had to be alert to cut off his pass that would have given Abraham a vision of goal.
Havertz tried his luck with a 20-yard free throw late in the first period, but the effort of the summer signing was too high and the two teams entered at break level.
Gilmour picked up where he had left off in the second half, prodding and testing at every opportunity and the Scotsman readied Anjorin, but his angled shot was charged for a corner.
Lampard will decide in January whether Gilmour can be loaned out or not to try and make the Scottish team for the European Championship. With this evidence, you will easily earn yourself a place in the senior match if you can play enough matches, whether at Chelsea or elsewhere.
Kepa had to make his first proper save in the 64th minute, when Vilhena stole Jorginho and the ball finally broke for Wanderson, whose shot was parried to his right by the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Abraham looked confident to put Chelsea ahead with 20 minutes to go, but Krasnodar goalkeeper Yevgeni Gorodov saved brilliantly with an extended leg to keep his team on a level playing field.
Anjorin then played for Havertz, but his touch was too strong and allowed Gorodov to make another good save. That was Havertz’s final contribution, as Lampard replaced him with Timo Werner and N’Golo Kante was also dispatched for the final 15 minutes.
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