Mikhail Mudrik (right) celebrates Chelsea's second goal against Brighton in Philadelphia with Angelo. Preparations for the season continued with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Brighton in the USA, with newcomers Christopher Nkunku and Nicholas Jackson scoring goals for Mauricio Pochettino's side.
The two forwards, who together earned around £85m, were joined by Conor Gallagher and Mikhail Mudryk, who scored his first goal for Chelsea since moving from Shakhtar Donetsk » for £89 million in January.
The game was tied at 1-1 in the second half when Jan Paul van Hecke, Brighton centre-back, was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Brighton scored earlier thanks to Danny Welbeck and Roberto De Zerbi's team added two late goals thanks to record signings Joao Pedro and striker Deniz Undava.
Here are the key messages from the match in Philadelphia.
Mudrik was a great moment
Brentford wanted to make him their record signing. Arsenal then tried to do the same. De Zerby believes he has the potential to one day win the Ballon d'Or. They can't all be wrong and it always looked like Mudrik would start showing why Chelsea were willing to pay up to £89m for his services, it's only a matter of time.
In this victory over Brighton, Mudrik finally produced a moment of genuine quality in the blue shirt. His goal in the second half was a top-notch shot and a touch of class befitting a player so highly regarded by many players.
Chelsea's Mihail Mudrik in action during the second half Credit & Copyright: Chris Sagola/AP
Having received the ball on the left flank, Mudrik suddenly shifted into high gear. Breaking onto the field, he exchanged two passes with Jackson, one of which was designed to throw through the opponent's defender, and then sent the rebounding ball from the edge of the penalty area into the corner.
Earlier this summer, Mudryk played for Ukraine at the European Under-21 Championships in an attempt to regain his best form for next season. Judging by the first appearance of Pochettino, it was a wise move. Now the question is whether this was just a flash of genius or the start of something sustainable.
Jackson is a creative force
Chelsea signed Jackson to be the No. 9 who can lead the line and stretch the defence. He had an impressive season in front of Villarreal last year, scoring 12 goals in La Liga, and it was hoped at Stamford Bridge that he could take free-kicks in cold blood.
However, after two pre-season friendlies, it was already clear that there was more to Jackson's game than speed and finishing. Judging by these early testimonies, the striker from Senegal can also become a creative assistant for his new team.
The striker “Chelsey” Chelsea Joola Jacks. The ball takes his command forward with a score of 3: 1. Photo: Chris Szagola/APIn two matches for Chelsea, Jackson has already had three assists. They were also varied, with those three assists involving a run-up, a delicate shot and an aggressive challenge to win the ball in Brighton's box here in Philadelphia.
Jackson, who was valued at around £30m, also scored a goal of his own after he ran from Brighton's defense and shot confidently into the top corner. Nkunku has also scored again for Chelsea – he has scored two goals in two pre-season games – but the £52m player is currently outperformed by cheaper additions at Chelsea's front line.
Pedro's early influence
Brighton knew what they wanted this summer and didn't want to wait: their move to Joao Pedro happened so early that it was announced in the first week of May. The Brazilian signed from Watford for a club-record fee of around £30m and his performance against Chelsea will create huge excitement for Brighton fans.
Second half against Chelsea. Credit: Adam Hunger/Getty Images
Brighton has become a place where young talent thrives and at 21, Pedro has plenty of time to grow under De Zerby. He is already an exciting offensive talent and in the second half in Philadelphia he caused endless problems for the Chelsea defense.
The Brazilian handled the ball defiantly, constantly trying to get away from the opponent, and earned a penalty thanks to skillful dribbling. He then converted a penalty and then scored Brighton's third goal, scored by Undav, beating two Chelsea defenders on the left flank. An extremely promising start.
Chilwell unleashed
Pochettino's top priority in those first few weeks at Chelsea was to improve the fitness of his players. So the workouts were relentless, and Raheem Sterling said on Friday that it was “probably the most run I've run in a long time.”
It is clear that one of the leading performers in these fitness classes was Ben Chilwell. The left defender of the England national team is not used to hard work at this time of the year, and its running power is one of its most important qualities.
Ben Chilles from ” Grail Solly Marka from Brighton's head. Photo: Adam Hunger/Getty Images
The first signs of this US tour are that Chilwell is a good fit for the system Pochettino is trying to implement at Stamford Bridge. He scored a beautiful mid-week goal in a win over Wrexham by bouncing back before flicking the ball over the keeper and against Brighton here he was a threat throughout the first half with his run from deep.
With Ian Maatsen, another left-back playing ahead of him on the left flank, Chilwell had the freedom to take the lead and stretch the game. It's a physically demanding role when played this way, but at a time when many full-backs are now hiding in midfield, Chilwell can thrive as an old-school player under Pochettino.
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