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The exciting new partnership forming at Chelsea and what made Enzo Maresca rage at Bournemouth

Enzo Maresca celebrates Chelsea's win at Bournemouth with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez
-Credit: (Image: Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)


The spotlight was always going to be shining brightly on Jadon Sancho at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday evening as he made his Chelsea debut. Signing on loan from Manchester United just prior to the summer transfer deadline, the winger had to make do with a place on the bench to begin with as the Blues travelled to Bournemouth.

Enzo Maresca had opted for Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto as his wide options from the start but he shuffled his pack at half-time as the Portuguese international made way. The ex-Wolves man did not see a lot of the ball and failed to influence things when in possession down the left.

Sancho made an immediate impact following his introduction as he linked up well with Marc Cucurella in the final third. Playing a one-two with the Spaniard, unfortunately Madueke or Cole Palmer could not apply the finishing touch to the left-back's inviting cross across the 18-yard box.

The two continued to join forces throughout the second half, including on one occasion when Cucurella picked out Nicolas Jackson in the middle of the area. Sancho also did likewise not long after entering the fray but the striker curled his effort wide of the target.

Sancho was to have a huge say on the game in the 86th minute as he slipped the ball in for Christopher Nkunku to turn and coolly find the bottom corner. The 24-year-old made an instant impression on his Chelsea debut and has left fans wanting more.

Already having a connection with Chelsea supporters as the travelling faithful chanted his name during his second-half playing time, Maresca believes that the attacker feeling the love straight away is only good for him.

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"It's very important," said the Italian. "I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love. This is what I think when I spoke with him before he join us.

"Also I know he has the desire to show the player he is, but for me, it is just to enjoy football. This is the reason why they play. They are happy and want to play football, they want to enjoy football and then because they are good, they are going to do good things."

Sancho could become a key player in Maresca's system in the months ahead if he can take his Bournemouth performance and hit new levels altogether. If he is to flourish in the Chelsea team, his potential partnership with Cucurella that already appears to be forming may become a big weapon for the Blues.

Veiga impact

One player who did make his full Premier League debut for Chelsea on Saturday evening was Renato Veiga. Starting in midfield with Enzo Fernandez missing out through illness, the Portuguese youngster delivered a strong performance alongside Moises Caicedo in the middle of the park.

The 21-year-old did look a tad nervy in the opening exchanges and a miskick in the middle resulted in Marcus Tavernier going very close to the opener with a rasping drive that struck the crossbar. Veiga grew into the contest after that and played a key role in Chelsea leaving with all three points.

Registering a pass success rate of 89 per cent, he also made six passes into the final third, he was successful with all three of his dribbles and he won seven of his ten duels. The versatile player did show off his quality on the ball late on as he embarked on a mazy run into the Bournemouth box but a mix-up with Palmer resulted in the Blues losing possession when Veiga looked as if he was going to get a shot away on goal.

Veiga certainly looked like he enjoyed his first ever start in the Premier League, with the ex-FC Basel man even spotted jumping straight into the Chelsea crowd following Nkunku's winner at a time when the rest of his teammates had made a beeline for the goalscorer.

Chelsea's attacking options

Maresca really does have an embarrassment of riches on his Chelsea bench when it comes to the attackers at his disposal. Starting with Madueke, Palmer, Neto and Jackson in his front four, the Italian had Joao Felix, Nkunku, Sancho, Mykhailo Mudryk and Marc Guiu to call upon from the bench if he wanted to make a change in the final third.

Nkunku and Sancho will dominate the headlines for their role in Chelsea's winner but Maresca was also quick to praise Felix in his press conference and stated that he was "very good" following his late introduction. There was one moment involving the attacker that left Maresca raging on the side in the 64th minute, however.

Shielding a pass from fellow substitute Tosin Adarabioyo, Chelsea's No.14 turned and Lewis Cook fouled him but no free-kick was awarded by referee Anthony Taylor. Maresca was seething about the decision and duly threw his hands up in the air before retreating back to his seat in the dugout at some speed, thus resulting in him getting a yellow card for his actions.

Thankfully he had something to celebrate at the end with his substitutes securing all three points following Nkunku's fine winner.

Sanchez heroics

One player who deserves for his name to be in the headlines following Chelsea's win at Bournemouth is goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. If it wasn't for the Spaniard's heroics, the Blues may not have left the south coast with their second Premier League victory of the campaign.

Alert early on to stop Tavernier from netting, the ex-Brighton & Hove Albion man saved his team seven minutes before the break after diving to his left to stop Evanilson's penalty finding the bottom corner. Sanchez did in fact give the penalty away after bringing the striker down in the box following Wesley Fofana's short pass but he more than atoned for his foul by keeping the score level at 0-0.

Called into action a number of times after the break with Justin Kluivert and a few other Bournemouth players trying their luck, Sanchez was not to be beaten and produced seven saves in total. It was some display from the 26-year-old.