Blues beat Servette 2-0 in Europa Conference play-off first-leg at Stamford Bridge
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 2 v Servette
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The jury is still out on the progression of Chelsea despite dispatching Servette 2-0 in the Europa Conference play-off first leg at Stamford Bridge tonight.
Strikes from Christopher Nkunku and Noni saw off the resistance of the opposition who will be kicking themselves for not scoring at least one goal to pile pressure on the billion-pound west Londoners in the second leg next week.
The Blues started brightly with Marc Guiu almost getting hold of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, pass, but the ball was too fast for the striker.
Mykhailo Mudryk missed a sitter on 29 minutes but hit his right-footer wide of goal.
The outfit from Switzerland almost scored on 15 minutes when Dereck Kutesa, forced Filip Jorgensen into a save that went for a corner.
Pedro Neto got in on the attacking act, from the right on 32 minutes, but his powerful left-footer, from the edge of the box was well held by Jeremy Frick.
Steve Rouiller had a powerful header from a free-kick held by Jorgensen on 37 minutes.
There were no changes by either side at half-time.
Chelsea got a deserved penalty on 49 minutes when Frick upended Nkunku. The attacking midfielder had already touched the ball to go wide but the goalkeeper's momentum allowed Nkunku to drag his trailing leg into his body and fall over.
He stepped up and dispatched head coach's Enzo Maresca's first official goal in charge.
Guiu then missed an open goal and allowed Frick to make a couple of follow-up saves.
Maresca then brought on Enzo, Cole Palmer, and Noni for Neto, Nkunku and Guiu on 57 minutes.
There were boos from the Chelsea crowd when Moises Caicedo passed the ball back to his goalkeeper on 72 minutes but that changed a couple of minutes later when Enzo fed Noni the ball. The substitute just kept on going and unleaded a venomous right-footer to smash the ball in to the back of the net.
Servette almost got back in to the game on 86 minutes when substitute Tiemoko Ouattara rattled the crossbar.
The away side had two more great chances to snatch a late goal to take into next Thursday's second leg, but they could not quite breach a weak-looking Chelsea defence.
Tosin left the pitch clutching his right hamstring.
Teams: Chelsea: Jorgensen, Disasi, Tosin, Badiashile, Neto, Mudryk, Jorgensen, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Caicedo, Guiu. Veiga
Subs: Sanchez, Cucurella, Enzo, Noni, Jackson, Palmer, Gusto, Lavia, Colwill
Servette: Tsunemoto, Rouiller, Ondoua, Cognat, Stevanovic, Kutesa, Mazikou, Severin, Crivelli, Douline, Frick
Subs: Mall, Baron, Antunes, Vonmoos, Guillemenot, Besson, Magin, Sawadogo, Weber, Ouattara, Srdanovic, Frankhauser
Referee: Jeremie Pignard
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