🗣️ Xabi Alonso on Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Luton Town [H] in the Carabao Cup second round:
🤝 “I think that we are in a moment of the season that many things are starting, many processes and I’m happy that some players have their first minutes in the club, they made their debut. I’m happy to play my first competitive game in the stadium.
“It wasn’t easy, credit to Luton as well that they made it difficult. But we have played with conviction, with patience, knowing that the first ball was meant to come in a moment and Danny [Welbeck] did it really well.”
👏 𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬:
“For them it’s a special day that they will remember.
“Mike [Penders] for sure, he will be happy because always for a keeper to make debut and clean sheet, it feels good.
“For sure he will have games with more work. But you could see in some moments that he was under pressure. He plays calm. He has security of his football. He didn’t make many saves, but he’s a great project for the future and for the present as well. So we need to go step-by-step. He’s playing the cup and we need to see.
“Valentin [Barco], he had an impressive performance, very dynamic, good with the ball, very aware of what was going on in the midfield. And Danny [Welbeck], he was the patient player, he was the one that had to be in the box waiting for one good cross to come.
“In the first half we were close but we couldn’t get it and he scored the first goal, it was important, a great delivery from Malo [Gusto]. He did what he does best, score and to be in the right place.”
🤔 𝐎𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐳𝐨 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐳 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐝:
“It was a decision from myself and from the club.
“We had other players that needed minutes and it was that way.
“He’s a good professional. He’s training well and I have nothing to say about him. It was just a decision that we had to take, thinking about the game that we’re playing tonight and we’ll see for Sunday.”
(Via Bobby Vincent - Football London)
#CFC #ChelseaFC #CarabaoCup #LutonTown
