Chelsea put their early Champions League struggles firmly behind them with a resounding 5-1 statement win against a ten-man Ajax at Stamford Bridge. The match entered the history books as the first UCL fixture where three teenagers found the back of the net, delivering a dominant performance that saw the Blues rise to 11th in the league standings.
The teenage goalscorers were Marc Guiu, Estêvão, and substitute Tyrique George, leading a perfect night for the Premier League side.
Red Card Sets the Tone for Ajax Misery
Ajax, who entered the contest knowing the difficulty of securing a positive result after losing their opening two league phase games, saw their challenge compounded early on. Under-pressure boss John Heitinga watched his team go down to ten men when Kenneth Taylor was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Facundo Buonanotte.
Chelsea immediately capitalized on the resulting free-kick. The ball was worked wide before a deep cross was sent into the box for Wesley Fofana, who headed it back across goal for Marc Guiu to guide home his first Champions League goal for Chelsea.
Penalty Exchange and Clinical Finishes
The hosts quickly doubled their lead when Moisés Caicedo fired a long-range effort that took a wicked deflection, wrong-footing veteran goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.
Ajax briefly found a glimmer of hope in the 33rd minute. Wout Weghorst converted a penalty, squeezing it past Filip Jörgensen after Tosin Adarabioyo fouled Raúl Moro. However, Weghorst quickly undid his positive contribution by clumsily sliding in on Enzo Fernández, gifting the Chelsea skipper a penalty opportunity to restore the two-goal cushion, which he calmly dispatched.
The first-half scoring spree concluded when the third teenager, Estêvão, took over penalty duties after drawing a foul from Youri Baas with his trickery, firing home his first UCL goal just before the break.
History Continues with Second-Half Subs
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca took the opportunity to make a triple change at half-time, introducing Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos, and Tyrique George.
George required just three minutes to make an impact on the one-sided contest, slotting a first-time shot past Pasveer with the aid of a deflection, completing the historic teenager treble.
More history was made on the night when Reggie Walsh was introduced, becoming the youngest player to ever represent Chelsea in the UCL. Walsh and his teammates comfortably cruised through the remainder of the contest, seeing out a comprehensive 5-1 victory.
The result moves Chelsea up in the standings, while Ajax remains rooted to the bottom without a single point to their name.
