Chelsea have done it. Enzo Maresca’s side have won the UEFA Conference League, beating Spanish outfit Real Betis 4-1 in Poland.
The Blues have made history in winning the title, becoming the first side to have won all three major European titles currently on offer, a historic achievement for the club.
In terms of the game, it got off to the worst start possible for Chelsea. Their LaLiga opponents took the lead just nine minutes into the clash, with left winger Abdessamad Ezzalzouli firing a well-struck effort into the bottom right corner past goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
It took Chelsea until the 65th minute to equalise. Cole Palmer set Enzo Fernandez up with a teasing ball. The Argentine midfielder ran onto his cross and headed home into the bottom left corner to score a crucial goal for his side.
From there, the floodgates opened. First, Nicolas Jackson struck, once again set up by the irresistible Palmer. Second-half substitute Jadon Sancho soon got in on the act to make it 3-1. His strike was sublime, bending a shot from the left-hand corner of the penalty area into the top right corner of the Betis goal.
Sancho
Moises Caicedo’s strike from distance capped off the night for Chelsea, who were unstoppable once they got into their groove. One of the stars of the show was the scorer of the second goal, Jackson.
Jackson’s performance vs. Betis
When his side needed him most, Blues striker Jackson came up clutch with the goal which won them another European title. It was a hard-working night’s work for the Senegal international, who ran the channels diligently and looked to link up play all night long.
His goal, which saw Chelsea take the lead in the game, was a smart finish. The 23-year-old miscued his effort, surely meaning to head Palmer’s cross home, instead bouncing the ball past Adrian off his chest. However, the run was clever, darting into the six-yard box to put the ball in the back of the net.
Jackson’s performance earned him a 7/10 rating from Standard journalist Malik Ouzia. He explained that, whilst the striker did take a 'hideous touch' when attempting to seal the deal late on, he 'repaid the “debt” he owed his team-mates' with his crucial strike, having missed the final two league games of the season through suspension.
Nicolas Jackson-3
It was certainly an impressive performance from Jackson, stepping up in a European final when his side needed to. However, he was perhaps overshadowed by another of his teammates.
The Chelsea player who outperformed Jackson
Just over 13 years ago, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba inspired his side to a heroic Champions League final comeback against Bayern Munich. He scored an 88th-minute header at the Allianz Arena, before sinking their opponents with the winning penalty in the shootout, to deliver Chelsea the Champions League.
didier-drogba-chelsea
Well, little more than a decade later, Palmer has just put in a performance worthy of rivalling Drogba’s iconic effort. His two assists breathed life into a flat Chelsea side, putting them into a title-winning position.
Those contributions will be remembered for the next decade, just like Drogba’s have been. His first assist was a delicate cross to Fernandez, who rose highest to nod home an inch-perfect cross.
The second was magical, teasing the Betis defenders, twisting on the spot before turning into space and delivering another perfect cross for Jackson to convert.
It was not just the assists that were exceptional from Palmer, but his overall performance. As the stats on Sofascore show, he ranked highly for several metrics on the night.
For example, no player completed more dribbles than his four, nor did they create as many as his two big chances.
Palmer key stats vs. Betis
Stat
Ground duels won
Dribbles completed
Assists
Big chances created
Key passes
Passes completed
Stats from Sofascore
The Chelsea number 20 was so good, he earned himself a 9/10 for his efforts from Ouzia. The journalist was full of praise for Palmer, describing him as a 'genius' following the former Manchester City man's two moments of magic.
Palmer Madueke
So, the Blues have another European title to their name, and with it, another memorable performance from a genuine superstar. Perhaps Chelsea have found their new version of the legendary striker.
Palmer, player of the match, delivering a performance worthy of rivalling Drogba’s heroics 13 years ago. Sensational.
Chelsea's Didier Drogba celebrates with the trophy after winning the Barclays Premier League Related
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