December 24th 2023.
Christopher Nkunku has become the 27th Chelsea player to score on his Premier League debut, and the first to do so as a substitute since Alvaro Morata in 2017.
The French forward made his Premier League debut on Christmas Eve against Wolves after being signed from RB Leipzig for £52million, and had been sidelined with a knee injury since pre-season.
Mauricio Pochettino has already shown how 'important' Nkunku will be for Chelsea after his goal set up a grandstand finish despite the Blues losing 2-1 at Molineux.
Speaking post-match, Pochettino said: "I'm very pleased to see Nkunku score and it shows how important he can be for us. We cannot put too much pressure on him, he's been out for a very long time and that is why he came on after 60 minutes – to help ease him in. He's a quality player who can score goals and we are pleased he did that today, although of course we are disappointed not to win the game. Christo needs time to arrive in this way but we are very confident in him to get to his best and be a key player for us."
Nkunku expressed his mixed feelings on the Wolves loss, posting on Instagram: "Although the result is frustrating I am happy to have scored my first goal in Blue. Merry Christmas and see you next week at the bridge."
Sunday's defeat means Chelsea stay 10th in the table, 14 points off the top four, and have now lost 19 league games in 2023, the most of any club.
Nkunku will be hoping to add to his account when the Blues host out-of-form Crystal Palace on 27th December at Stamford Bridge. The game could be a chance for the 26-year-old to show the Chelsea fans what he is capable of, and start the climb up the Premier League table.
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