Chelsea kicked-off their Conference League journey in style with a 4-2 victory over Belgian side KAA Gent, courtesy of goals from Renato Veiga, Pedro Neto, Christopher Nkunku and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
The home side started the match on the front foot as Joao Felix and Pedro Neto both came close early on. However, it was an unlikely source in left-back Renato Veiga, who opened the scoring for the Blues with a backpost header for his first Chelsea goal.
The Blues almost doubled their lead on the counterattack as Neto set up Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the middle, but the former Leicester City man struck just wide of the target.
Despite Chelsea dominating the majority of the first half, KAA Gent still managed to conjure up chances with Archie Brown being denied by Filip Jorgensen, whilst forward Andri Gudjohnsen volleyed just over the bar.
The Blues doubled their lead not even a minute after the restart thanks to Neto, who latched onto a through ball from Axel Disasi, before composing himself and firing home for 2-0.
However, their two-goal advantage lasted a mere four minutes as the Buffalos pulled one back, with Gudjohnsen's cross being headed home by Tsuyoshi Watanabe to keep Gent in the game.
Enzo Maresca's side soon restored their two-goal cushion midway through the second half thanks to Christopher Nkunku, who was in the right place at the right time to fire home inside the 18-yard box to score his fourth goal in his last two starts.
The goals did not stop there for Chelsea, as with 20 minutes to go, Dewsbury-Hall rolled the ball home for a fourth, as he netted his first goal for the Blues.
In the final minute of normal time, Gent did manage to restore some pride as substitute Omri Gandelman netted from close range. However, it was nothing more than a consolation as Chelsea ran out 4-2 winners.
The Blues return to Premier League action on Sunday with a home match against Nottingham Forest, whilst Gent head to Sint-Truidense V.V. on the same day.
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Story of the match
Following their 4-2 victory over Brighton at the weekend, Enzo Maresca fielded a completely different starting eleven in order to allow key players such as Cole Palmer, Malo Gusto and Nicolas Jackson a rest.
In fact, ten of the players that started in the Carabao Cup third round tie against Barrow AFC, featured in the eleven against KAA Gent. Gusto is the sole absentee from that side, as Tosin Adarabioyo came into the centre of defence alongside Benoit Badiashile.
Meanwhile, for Gent, manager Wouter Vrancken made two changes to the side that defeated Oud-Heverlee Leuven 3-0. 20-year-old English forward Max Dean made way for Andri Gudjohnsen, the son of former Chelsea player Eidur Gudjohnsen.
The other change came in defence as Jordan Torunarigha, formerly of Hertha Berlin, partnered captain Stefan Mitrovic and Tsuyoshi Watanabe in the back three. Winger Zalan Vansca dropped to the bench as Vrancken changed to a 3-4-3 formation.
Chelsea dominated on the ball in the opening exchanges and created the first chance of the game on eight minutes when Mykhailo Mudryk forayed into the penalty area before finding Joao Felix, who saw his effort blocked from inside the six-yard box.
A few minutes later, the Blues came close again, as a strike from Pedro Neto drifted wide. Moments later, however, the deadlock was broken through an unlikely source as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall played the ball down the line to Mudryk, whose cross found Renato Veiga, as the Portuguese headed home to score his first goal in Chelsea colours.
The home side almost doubled their advantage on the counterattack after Neto sped forward down the right side, before setting up Dewsbury-Hall in the middle, who fired just wide of the target.
Chelsea's dominance continued to show, with Gent struggling to conjure up an effort on goal. The chances soon started to dry up for the Blues, with the closest being a header over the bar from Tosin Adarabioyo.
However, on 32 minutes, the Buffalos had a rare chance on goal through defender Archie Brown, but the former Derby County academy player failed to test Filip Jorgensen. KAA Gent soon had another opportunity moments later through Andri Gudjohnsen, but his powerful strike was inches over the bar.
In the latter stages of the first half, Veiga played through his fellow countryman Felix, who tried to lift the ball over Davy Roef, but the Gent 'keeper did enough to make the save. Despite a dominant first half, Chelsea held just a slim one-goal lead at the break.
Second Half
With just under a minute of the second half played, Chelsea doubled their advantage. A long ball from Axel Disasi set away Neto, who took a touch before rifling the ball into the roof of the net.
Second-half goal rush settles the tie
However, not long later, KAA Gent pulled a goal back as Gudjohnsen's cross fell to Tsuyoshi Watanabe, who headed home at the backpost to halve the deficit. Despite a VAR check, the goal stood.
Following the goal, it was the Blues who continued to dominate and added a third midway through the second half. Adarabioyo headed the ball back into play from a corner towards Veiga, who found Christopher Nkunku, leaving the Frenchman to slot home from just inside the penalty area.
The home side made it 4-1 with 20 minutes to go as Felix played through Nkunku, as the ball deflected into the path of Dewsbury-Hall, who raced into the area before finding the back of the net for his first Chelsea goal.
Dewsbury-Hall almost scored a second with a low drive on the edge of the area, which was kept out by Roef. Meanwhile, up the other end, Gent almost scored a second after full-back Brown made a great run into the penalty area, before striking wide.
Substitute Marc Guiu also came close to scoring, when he was played through by Veiga, but the young Spaniard struck the side netting. However, in the closing stages, Gent narrowed the deficit to two goals when Max Dean's cross fell to Omri Gandelman, who slotted home into the bottom corner.
Meanwhile, in added time, Mudryk almost got in on the act after making a darting run into the penalty area, but could only strike inches wide, as the scoreline remained 4-2.
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Player of the Match: Pedro Neto
A dazzling display from Chelsea's number seven, who is adjusting nicely to life in West London. Neto, signed in the summer from Wolverhampton Wanderers, scored with a well-taken finish and proved a constant threat down the right side.
The blistering pace proved a problem for Gent, as the winger kept on getting in the right area to cross the ball into the box. Providing he remains injury-free, Neto may well prove a hit amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful.
With two great performances in his last two starts for the Blues, the Portuguese international may well replace Noni Madueke in the first eleven come Sunday against Nottingham Forest.
