Alejandro Garnacho has had to wait a long time for his Chelsea debut after being linked with a move since January – but he more than made up for it with a major impact tonight in his first minutes – for better and for worse.
It wasn’t all bad – he made inroads down the left and it was his cutback which was cleared to Moises Caicedo to equalise with. He looked far more dangerous than Jamie Gittens, who really did not impress in his time on the left wing.
Where Garnacho went wrong on Blues debut
But in the dying moments of the game, with the Blues 2-1 up, the Argentine made a fatal mistake on a long throw.
Jamie Redknapp was on duty for Sky Sports, and he explained what had gone wrong for the Blues.
“What happens as it develops is here – Garnacho has a job to do here. He’s got to mark Carvalho,” the pundit explained.
“That’s your job. Simple as that. Don’t lose him, you’re now one of the defensive players in here. If he gets behind you, it’s on you… but Garnacho just falls asleep at the vital moment… Garnacho’s not concentrating. And there’s Carvalho at the back post.”
You can see them discussing the incident in the clip embedded here:
https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1966974483517874640
[Footage from Sky Sports]
Garnacho already in hot water after Chelsea arrival
There’s always a scapegoat at times like this – it was only a momentary error and there will be plenty of chances for him to make up for it.
But still – it’s the last thing a player who arrives with a reputation for a bad attitude wants on his debut. Enzo Maresca won’t like this at all, and we’re sure Garnacho will be made very aware of how he’s cost his new team.
