In what was a reticent affair, Chelsea came out on top after JorginhoThe first-half stoppage time penalty was enough to beat a stubborn one Everton side.
New signature Koulibaly was dominant in the back and played a crucial role in the penalty. He found Ben Chillwell inside the Everton box with a pinpoint card. The left back was then fouled by the Toffees midfielder Adboulaye Doucoure. Jorginho then calmly sent his penalty and sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way.
Raheem Sterling also made his debut, but it was Koulibaly which caught the attention of many Chelsea fans. A compilation of his solid performance was compiled by LSVids. You can watch the video here.
Koulibaly showed a lot of composure on the ball and also showed his defensive abilities when he got the upper hand on the Everton attackers.
He won possession four times, made three clearances and one last man tackle to ensure a clean sheet on his first appearance as a Chelsea player.
Fans took to social media to express their joy at the centre-back’s performance.
One fan said: “Chelsea didn’t just replace Rudigerwe upgraded with Koulibaly.”
Another tweeted: “Beast, going to be huge this season.”
While 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 performance of the £33 million man.
“Different players but Kalidou KoulibalyThe approach has been excellent.”
Kalidou Koulibaly’s Premier League Debut by Number:
71 touches
11 final third entries
won 7 matches
4 x possession won
3 clearances
3 aerial duels won
2 tackles
1 interception
take 1 last manA positive start. pic.twitter.com/Gf1724B9TQ
— Squawka (@Squawka) August 6, 2022
tuchel spoke about his team’s overall performance after the game.
The German said: “It may not have been the most exciting Premier League game. Seven minutes extra time in the first half, ten minutes in the second half tell 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 the change of game. Maybe we didn’t want to take the risk in the last 25 meters.
“In the second half we had too little movement on the ball and that did not result in enough loss of the ball. The ball was stuck between the halves.”
Chelsea will host Tottenham Hotspur next week in a highly anticipated London derby.