A crazy first 45 minutes unfolded against Ajax at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea fans were loving it.
Wednesday night’s clash with Ajax was a change of pace from Chelsea’s recent European nights.
This time around, it was instant action from the first whistle, and by half time, Chelsea held a comfortable 4-1 lead. That would be stretched to 5-1 shortly after the break, killing the tie.
Ajax striker Wout Weghorst, who has felt Chelsea’s wrath before, had an up-and-down half. His converted penalty brought the Dutch giants back into the game, but not long after, a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernandez sent the Chelsea man to the spot to extend the lead to two again.
Following that blunder, the home crowd directed chants at the big number nine, including a comparison that wasn’t intended to flatter.
Chelsea fans compare Wout Weghorst to Andy Carroll
Weghorst, who has played for both Burnley and Man United, was hooked at half time for one of two reasons. Either because of his blunder, or because he was pumping blood from his head after a nasty collision with Tosin Adarabioyo.
But before he got that reprieve, he was subject to chants from Chelsea fans, labelling the Dutchman as an inferior version of former West Ham and Liverpool target man Andy Carroll. As David Richardson reports for Sky Sports: “The Chelsea fans are comparing Weghorst to Andy Carroll – and not in a good way.”
The language used was a bit less polite than the match report would have you believe.
READ MORE:How Eidur Gudjohnsen reacted to Enzo Fernandez handing Estevao Willian penalty in Ajax thrashing
Burnley striker Wout Weghorst and Chelsea defender Reece James battling for the ball
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
To his credit, Weghorst laughed it off, giving a thumbs-up to the home support. It would be one of his final acts before being replaced at the break.
And that wasn’t the only moment of mischief from Chelsea fans, who were loving the vibes at the Bridge.
Chelsea fans pile on John Heitinga
There was enough pressure on the Ajax boss before a ball was kicked, but the 5-1 scoreline will surely birth even more doubters amongst the travelling support.
Ajax coach Johnny Heitinga during the UEFA Champions League match with Chelsea FC
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
After Heitinga’s decision to bring off attacker Oscar Gloukh with a defender drew boos from the away end, Chelsea fans added insult to injury, chiming in with ‘Sacked in the morning’ chants.
His team’s discipline let him down in this one, but that won’t prevent most of the blame from landing on the former Everton man’s doorstep.
It was great to see the home crowd enjoying themselves for the 90 minutes. More nights like this would go down a treat.