Mamadou Sarr’s record-breaking competitive debut for Chelsea has sparked a wave of support from his former Strasbourg teammates, with Emanuel Emegha leading the tributes to the 20-year-old’s masterclass.
Chelsea could have a new centre-back partnership on their hands after Mamadou Sarr‘s display in the FA Cup against Hull City.
Both he and Wesley Fofana looked incredibly accomplished. Although it was Championship opposition, they very rarely looked troubled, which is something we haven’t been able to say about Chelsea’s defence since Liam Rosenior took charge.
In fact, Sarr became the first Chelsea centre-back this season to achieve a pass completion rate of 98%, as he made 101 of 103 passes at the MKM stadium.
Rate Mamadou Sarr’s performance vs Hull City from 1️⃣-🔟
A record holder on your competitive Chelsea debut!
Mamadou Sarr breaks Chelsea record on debut vs Hull City
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Emanuel Emegha and Julio Enciso congratulate Mamadou Sarr
Mamadou Sarr won’t need to be given any extra confidence after his performance against Hull City, but his former teammates at Strasbourg took to his Instagram comments.
The Chelsea defender posted an image of himself in action in the FA Cup.
‘Happy to play for this badge 💙
Next round 🚀’
Emanuel Emegha, who is set to join Chelsea in the summer, simply commented, ‘the best’.
Meanwhile, Julio Enciso joined in with ‘top my bro’.
Even the Hull City fans were booing Alejandro Garnacho 🤣
What did you make of these two?
Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap disappoint for Chelsea vs Hull City
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
What can Chelsea expect from Emanuel Emegha when he joins?
Liam Rosenior has been very complimentary of Emegha.
Standing at 1.95m, he is a physical player who combines the height of a target man with elite sprint speed. In 2025, he was clocked as the fastest striker in Ligue 1, reaching a top speed of 37.7 km/h, which is notably faster than the Premier League’s top speed records from the previous season.
The data this season shows a particular strength in aerial duels and non-penalty expected goals (xG). While he has proven to attract the ball, his finishing is still in a developmental phase, but he is known for his movement that consistently puts him in good positions.
Given Joao Pedro’s typical false nine position, it will be good for Chelsea to have another out-and-out number nine in the fold alongside Liam Delap.
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