Callum Hudson-Odoi proves Chelsea doesn’t need to rely so heavily on Christian Pulisic

The gaze of Chelsea’s support was surely focused on Hakim Ziyech more than any other player, as the Blues faced their first day out of the Champions League of the season. With his first start for the club against Krasnodar, the Moroccan offered a glimpse of what he will offer Frank Lampard once he finds form and form.

However, once the game started in Russia, Chelsea fans might have been fixated on the left wing instead of the right. It was on this flank that Callum Hudson-Odoi was deployed, and the 19-year-old scored the opening goal of the match towards the end of the first half.

There was an undeniable element of good luck in Hudson-Odoi’s shot, as promising young goalkeeper Matvei Safonov allowed the shot to twist in his arms, but the teen’s performance as a whole was more than just a lucky goal. . He could have proved a point to Frank Lampard.

Chelsea are awash with attacking options after their summer spending spree in which Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Ziyech were added to the squad. Yet despite all these options, the Blues have become dependent on Christian Pulisic on the left. While Lampard has yet to shape the rest of his front row this season, the left wing role has been defined by the American.

Even in his absence with a hamstring injury sustained in last season’s FA Cup final, Pulisic has grown in stature. Signed as a direct replacement for Eden Hazard last year, the 22-year-old is a very different kind of threat, but like the Belgian in his Chelsea days, Pulisic has become the dynamo through which many flow. from the threats of the Blues. .

Lampard has been guilty of relying too heavily on Pulisic, perhaps contributing to his collapse at the end of last season, and it’s a habit that has continued since the American returned from injury. Hudson-Odoi’s display in Russia, however, proved to the Blues boss that he didn’t need to take down Pulisic. At the very least, the 19-year-old gives Chelsea a useful rotation option.

Hudson-Odoi may not be satisfied with simply being a long-term rotation option, particularly with Bayern Munich reportedly still interested in bringing the teenager to Bavaria, but at the moment he seems to have a clear role in Stamford Bridge. If ever there was a season where Chelsea had several interchangeable attackers to ease the advantage between them a bit, this is it.

Pulisic’s introduction from the bench with 20 minutes to go against Krasnodar showed that Chelsea remained more dangerous with the American on the field. There was just more conviction in the Blues’ final third play once Pulisic got involved, scoring three more to add real shine to the scoreboard.

With each passing game, Lampard gets a little closer to getting a complete picture of his team. Position by position, questions are being answered. Edouard Mendy made several solid saves to underscore his status as Chelsea’s new first-choice goalkeeper, while Werner again impressed as the pinnacle of the Blues attack, either down the middle or left with Tammy Abraham at number nine.

Ziyech also proved his worth, justifying the gaze on him early on, scoring Chelsea’s third goal and providing a threat throughout. While Havertz, Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic and Werner are forwards defined by their physique and forcefulness to get into attacking positions, the former Ajax player adds some cunning to the equation.

This was a match that highlighted the strength and variation of Chelsea’s options in the final third, but it was Hudson-Odoi who, instead of Pulisic, showed Lampard something that he may not have seen before.