After their away game against Leicester City, Chelsea's players shifted their full attention to the Champions League group stage.
Their group opponents included Qarabag, Atletico Madrid, and Roma.
Without a doubt, both Atletico Madrid and Roma were formidable teams, but fortunately, Chelsea's next opponent was Qarabag, a much weaker side.
Given this, coach Conte decided not to field his strongest lineup.
With a crucial home match against Arsenal looming—a game that could significantly impact Chelsea's title hopes this season—Conte made the strategic decision to use a substitute team for the Qarabag match.
It was the right choice.
At Stamford Bridge, the Champions League group stage match between Chelsea and Qarabag kicked off.
There's no denying it—the Chelsea players looked sharp.
Even with a reserve squad, Chelsea performed admirably. In fact, some players even surprised the fans with their performances.
For example, Morata, who had struggled in recent Premier League matches, found his scoring touch in the Champions League.
Within the first five minutes, Morata netted the opening goal. Shortly after, Willian, using his blistering pace, cut inside and slotted home another goal!
Just ten minutes in, Chelsea, playing at home, had already extended their lead to 2-0.
There was no doubt—the match's outcome was practically decided.
In the stands, Su Luo came down to the front row to cheer on his teammates. However, he couldn't watch the game peacefully—fans swarmed him asking for autographs and jerseys.
Such was the popularity of Su Luo!
By the end of the first half, Chelsea had stretched their lead to 4-0, completely ending any suspense.
In the second half, coach Conte made wholesale changes, giving the young players a chance to get some game time.
After 90 minutes, Chelsea secured a comfortable 4-0 victory.
With no hesitation, Chelsea claimed the win at home.
Meanwhile, in the other group-stage match, Atletico Madrid narrowly beat Roma 1-0 at home. This result put Chelsea at the top of their group—just what all Chelsea fans had hoped for!
With that win behind them, Chelsea could now focus on their upcoming clash with Arsenal.
Arsenal had started the season well, with 2 wins and 2 draws in their first four games, placing them tenth in the Premier League.
But now, they were set to face Chelsea.
There was no doubt that, on paper, Chelsea had the stronger squad.
However, Arsenal's head coach, Arsène Wenger, didn't share that view.
At the pre-match press conference, Wenger was brimming with confidence.
He passionately told the reporters, "We have only one goal when we go to Stamford Bridge—to beat Chelsea and claim victory."
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