Kalidou Koulibaly put in a commanding display on his Chelsea debut as he helped his side get the better of Everton on opening day.
In what was a cagey affair, Chelsea came out on top after Jorginho’s first half stoppage time penalty was enough to see off a stubborn Everton side.
New signing Koulibaly was dominant at the back and played a crucial role in the penalty. He found Ben Chilwell inside the Everton box with a pin point pass. The left back was subsequently fouled by Toffees’ midfielder Adboulaye Doucoure. Jorginho then calmly dispatched his spot kick, sending Jordan Pickford the wrong way.
Raheem Sterling also made his debut but it was Koulibaly who caught the eyes of many Chelsea fans. A compilation of his solid performance was compiled by LSVids. You can watch the video here.
Koulibaly showed great composure on the ball whilst also showing his defensive capabilities as he got the better of the Everton attackers.
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He won possession four times, made three clearances and one last man tackle to ensure a clean sheet on his first outing as a Chelsea player.
Fans took to social media to express their delight over the centre back’s performance.
One fan said: “Chelsea didn’t just replace Rudiger, we upgraded with Koulibaly.”
Another tweeted: “Beast, going to be massive this season.”
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Whilst a third added: “He looked like he barely tried and was still a class above anyone else on the field.”
The Senegal international was replaced in the 75th minute by fellow new boy Marc Cucurella after suffering cramps.
Former Chelsea man Pat Nevin was impressed with the £33 million man’s performance.
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He told BBC Radio 5 Live, per The Chelsea Chronicle: “Chelsea fans were worried about losing Antonio Rudiger. They’ve got Rudiger mark II, haven’t they?
“Different players but Kalidou Koulibaly’s tackling has been excellent.”
Tuchel spoke about his team’s overall performance after the game.
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The German said: “It was maybe not the most exciting Premier League game. Seven minutes of extra time in the first half, ten minutes in the second half tells the story. Lots of interruptions and no team could find the rhythm.
"We struggled with the moments, to feel the moments, for the change of speed and switch of play. We didn't maybe want to take the risk in the final 25 metres.
“We didn't have enough movement on the ball in the second half and that didn't create enough ball losses. The ball was stuck between the halves.”
Chelsea will host Tottenham Hotspur next week in a much anticipated London derby.
Topics: Chelsea, Kalidou Koulibaly
Marcus Chan