Chelsea are top of the Premier League, at least for now.
Soon enough, Joao Pedro had given the Blues the lead from a corner just before the interval. Then Enzo Fernandez made it 2-0 by slotting away a penalty in the second half.
Here, Standard Sport looks at three things we learned about Chelsea in their third match of the season.
Joao Pedro continues sensational start
For Joao Pedro, life at Chelsea is flowing very smoothly indeed. The Brazil international was signed this summer while on holiday in Rio de Janeiro, where he worked daily with a personal trainer before joining up with the squad midway through the Club World Cup.
In five competitive starts, he now has five goals for the Blues, and the confidence with which he peeled away from the defender and planted a header into the net from Fernandez’s corner boded so well for Chelsea.
He now goes away on international duty, where Brazil face Chile at the Maracana. It would be to no one at Chelsea’s surprise if he lit up that occasion, too. He is filling the void in the absence of the injured Cole Palmer right now.
Set-pieces can be key threat
These pages homed in last week on Chelsea’s excellent set-pieces in the 5-1 win over West Ham, and particularly the impact that set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva is having since joining in the summer of 2024.
The importance of set plays was evident again at Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea beat their west London rivals thanks to a headed goal from a corner, and then a penalty.
Pedro Neto delivered one poor free-kick in the first half, floated hopelessly into the arms of Bernd Leno.
But the corners from Fernandez were often pinpoint, and either knocked on, or put straight into the net, as happened when Joao Pedro made it two league goals in three games on the stroke of half-time.
Corners, in particular, are proving highly valuable currency for Chelsea, just as they are for a certain team from north London who also have designs on challenging for the Premier League title.
Chelsea face striker shortage
Liam Delap led the line, with Joao Pedro, the other centre-forward, playing just behind him. But Delap held his hamstring after trying and failing to latch on to an early long ball forward. Shortly after, the medics were on and Delap was off, replaced by Tyrique George.
George and Joao Pedro shared the responsibility up front for the remainder of the game.
With Christopher Nkunku sold to AC Milan, and Jackson now also going, Chelsea must think carefully about whether they want to grant George an exit too.
The same thing happened on winter deadline day, when Jackson and Marc Guiu went off injured against West Ham the night Joao Felix flew off on loan to Milan. Luckless? Or poor planning?
