Following Chelsea’s 5-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barrow, manager Enzo Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the performance of hat-trick hero Christopher Nkunku.
Enzo Maresca highlighted Nkunku, along with two other players, as individuals who he believes “deserve to start” games for Chelsea more regularly.
Nkunku’s stellar performance saw him netting three goals as the Blues dominated the match. The Frenchman impressively found the back of the net twice within 15 minutes, with Chelsea’s third goal of the match coming from a fortuitous deflection off goalkeeper Paul Farman following Joao Felix’s free-kick.
Following the break, Pedro Neto notched his first goal for Chelsea, further contributing to the team’s commanding lead. Nkunku then sealed his hat-trick in the 75th minute, capping off a remarkable individual display.
In the post-match press conference, coach Enzo Maresca expressed his joy for Nkunku and Neto, as well as for Joao Felix, emphasizing that all three players have demonstrated their readiness to start Chelsea’s Premier League matches.
“I’m happy. Happy for Pedro [Neto], happy for Christo [Nkunku] and for Joao [Felix], for all of them,” Maresca said.
“They all deserve to play from the start in the Premier League but they are not playing at this moment.
“But the way they take the chances when we give them minutes is fantastic.
“No matter if it’s five minutes, 45 minutes or 90 minutes, they are all ready and this is the most important thing.”
