Chelsea were handed the familiar title of Champions of Europe on Wednesday night as they added the Conference League to their trophy cabinet with a 4-1 win over Real Betis.
Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo were all on target for the Blues, however Cole Palmer was the star of the show, particularly in the second half.
Chelsea really struggled to get going in the first half, with Enzo Maresca stating after the game there was certainly a hangover from the win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
The manager’s team selection raised some eyebrows before the game got underway. The hero of their last win, Levi Colwill, was one of those to drop to the bench.
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Levi Colwill’s observation from the bench that helped Chelsea win the Conference League
The defender came on in the second half alongside Reece James and Sancho and instantly made an impact on proceedings, as Chelsea’s class eventually shone through.
Colwill stated after the game that he believes being on the bench actually allowed him to notice where the space was between the Betis lines, ultimately helping him pick key passes when he was on.
He told TNT Sports: “I think when you’re watching from the bench, you can see where the spaces are, and how you can help the team. When I came on for Benny, I said to him ‘you were working so hard, and then when I came on the gaps opened, he put the foundations in for me. That’s all I done.”
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
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Levi Colwill’s triple celebration
After coming through the academy at Cobham, winning his first Chelsea trophy will always be one of the highlights for Colwill.
It came just four days after his goal secured Champions League qualification. He was part of a defence who were resolute against Forest at the weekend.
To top it all off, Colwill was included in Thomas Tuchel’s most recent England squad as one of five Chelsea players.
There is a chance we could see a Chelsea centre-back pairing for the national team, with Trevoh Chalobah receiving his first call-up.