Raheem Sterling’s double and a goal from Nicolas Jackson gave Chelsea their first Premier League win under manager Mauricio Pochettino as they saw off Luton Town at Stamford Bridge.
Sterling, who has started the season in excellent form, picked the ball up wide on the right and jinked his way through three players before firing into the bottom corner in the 17th minute.
The England winger then doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 67th minute when he scored from close range from a Malo Gusto cross.
Sterling was involved again as Chelsea got their third, sending a low cross into the area for Jackson to score his first goal for the club.
Luton, who are still looking for their first points of the season since being promoted from the Championship, caused Chelsea problems throughout the game but the Blues’ quality saw them take all three points.
Chelsea, who handed a full debut to their £100m signing Moises Caicedo, will be happy with the win but Pochettino will know they have much to work on as they were far from their best.
The match was not as one-sided as the scoreline suggests, and it needed a good save from Robert Sanchez to stop Luton levelling when the score was 1-0.
Ben Chilwell should have made it 2-0 before the two second-half goals from Sterling and Jackson, but chose to pass instead of shooting when through on goal.
Sterling getting back to his best
After his £50m transfer from Manchester City, last season Sterling scored nine goals in 38 appearances – his lowest return since his debut campaign with Liverpool.
This season, however, Sterling looks like he is getting back to his best. Pochettino has spoken to the forward throughout this pre-season and the beginning of the campaign as he looks to get the best out of him – which seems to be having the desired effect.
Sterling’s opening goal showed exactly why he is a key part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad when fully fit. He has not been in the past two Three Lions squads because of fitness issues, but it seems likely he will be included following his start to this season when the latest squad is named next week.
His second goal against Luton showed his calmness when in dangerous positions, and the pass for Jackson’s goal highlighted his quality.
If Chelsea are to get back to the top end of the table Sterling will be key to their hopes, as he is by far the most experienced and proven attacker they possess.
Luton show they will cause problems this season
Much was made of the pricetags of the players before this match, with new Chelsea signing Caicedo costing more than the whole Luton squad.
However, at times you would not have been able to tell the difference in budget with the threat Luton carried.
Issa Kabore was dangerous down the right, and Luton’s coaching team encouraged the full-back to run at Chilwell whenever he got the chance.
Tahith Chong flashed a shot high and wide after he nicked the ball from Caicedo, while Ryan Giles tested Sanchez in the Chelsea goal in the second half but they could not find a clear chance to score.
The Hatters showed again that they are an organised team that will cause sides in the Premier League problems, but Chelsea’s superior quality saw them win comfortably.
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Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
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Chelsea
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Squad number1Player nameSánchez
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Squad number2Player nameDisasi
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Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva
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Squad number26Player nameColwill
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Squad number27Player nameGusto
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Squad number23Player nameGallagher
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Squad number25Player nameCaicedo
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Squad number21Player nameChilwell
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Squad number7Player nameSterling
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Squad number8Player nameFernández
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Squad number15Player nameJackson
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Squad number16Player nameUgochukwu
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Squad number29Player nameMaatsen
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Squad number37Player nameBurstow
Luton Town
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Squad number24Player nameKaminski
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Squad number12Player nameKaboré
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Squad number16Player nameBurke
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Squad number4Player nameLockyer
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Squad number29Player nameBell
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Squad number26Player nameGiles
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Squad number14Player nameChong
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Squad number13Player nameNakamba
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Squad number6Player nameBarkley
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Squad number11Player nameAdebayo
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Squad number9Player nameMorris
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Squad number5Player nameAndersen
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Squad number7Player nameOgbene
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Squad number17Player nameMpanzu
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Squad number19Player nameBrown
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Squad number45Player nameDoughty
Line-ups
Chelsea
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Sánchez
- 2Disasi
- 6Thiago Silva
- 26Colwill
- 27Gusto
- 23Gallagher
- 25Caicedo
- 21ChilwellSubstituted forMaatsenat 86′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 7SterlingSubstituted forBurstowat 90+2′minutes
- 8FernándezBooked at 73mins
- 15JacksonSubstituted forUgochukwuat 83′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Cucurella
- 11Madueke
- 16Ugochukwu
- 29Maatsen
- 37Burstow
- 43da Silva Moreira
- 47Bergström
- 48Humphreys
- 50Beach
Luton
Formation 5-3-2
- 24Kaminski
- 12KaboréSubstituted forDoughtyat 70′minutes
- 16BurkeSubstituted forAndersenat 77′minutes
- 4LockyerBooked at 27mins
- 29Bell
- 26Giles
- 14ChongSubstituted forOgbeneat 77′minutes
- 13NakambaBooked at 30mins
- 6BarkleySubstituted forMpanzuat 77′minutes
- 11AdebayoSubstituted forBrownat 70′minutesBooked at 78mins
- 9Morris
Substitutes
- 5Andersen
- 7Ogbene
- 8Berry
- 10Woodrow
- 17Mpanzu
- 19Brown
- 23Krul
- 38Johnson
- 45Doughty
- Referee:
- Robert Jones
- Attendance:
- 39,893
Live Text
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Match ends, Chelsea 3, Luton Town 0.
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Second Half ends, Chelsea 3, Luton Town 0.
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Substitution, Chelsea. Mason Burstow replaces Raheem Sterling.
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Ian Maatsen (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Ian Maatsen (Chelsea).
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Tom Lockyer (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Jacob Brown (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Moisés Caicedo.
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Substitution, Chelsea. Ian Maatsen replaces Ben Chilwell.
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Attempt missed. Jacob Brown (Luton Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Carlton Morris with a headed pass.
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Attempt saved. Conor Gallagher (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben Chilwell.
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Substitution, Chelsea. Lesley Ugochukwu replaces Nicolas Jackson.
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Raheem Sterling (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Alfie Doughty (Luton Town).
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Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Axel Disasi.
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Attempt blocked. Carlton Morris (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Carlton Morris (Luton Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Marvelous Nakamba.
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Attempt blocked. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Luton Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Foul by Malo Gusto (Chelsea).
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Chiedozie Ogbene (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.