Chelsea too much for Luton Town, as Pochettino picks up first Blues victory

Chelsea were made to wait and work for it for much of the night at Stamford Bridge, but Mauricio Pochettino eventually picked up his first victory as Blues boss on Friday.

Raheem Sterling scored in the 17th and 68th minutes, followed by a late insurance goal from Nicolas Jackson, en route to a 3-0 victory over Luton Town. A first victory and a first clean sheet for the Blues, to quickly bounce back from last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham.

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Sterling opened the scoring just after the quarter-hour mark, when he split a pair of defenders, and then another pair, as he weaved his way through the Luton penalty area. The 28-year-old fired low and hard, just inside the far post, to put Chelsea ahead for the first time this season. 50 long, arduous minutes passed as Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut scoring chances.

Goal no. 2 came when right back Malo Gusto found some space on the right wing and hit a low cross to the top of the six-yard box, where Sterling was patiently waiting to guide it home. A second goal for Sterling, and a second assist for Gusto.

Sterling turned provider in the 75th minute, when Enzo Fernandez played a daring ball out to the right flank for Sterling to run onto. After letting the ball bounce twice, Sterling smashed a low cross to the same spot from which he had just scored, and there was Jackson stretching out his right foot to score his first goal for Chelsea.

Pochettino a project manager, not an overnight miracle worker

Here’s the good news for Chelsea fans: your team got better as Friday’s game went on, and eventually all of their hard work paid off. Pochettino’s tenure is likely to follow a similar course, navigating some bumps in the road early in the season as he molds the Blues in his own image.

Pochettino was a massive success at Tottenham, but he didn’t have a ton of success right away. Spurs started 6W-2D-56 in his first 14 games in charge, including humbling defeats to West Brom, Newcastle and Stoke City. They finished with fewer points (64) than the previous season (69), but it was clear to see that the groundwork was being laid. From there, Pochettino never finished a season outside the top-four (3rd, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) and reached the Champions League final.

Given the injury crisis currently engulfing the (admittedly very richly constructed) Chelsea squad, expect some good early on, and a bit of bad as well. The first three games have showcased plenty of both.

Chelsea vs Luton Town, final score: 3-0

Goalscorers: Raheem Sterling (17', 68'), Nicolas Jackson (75')

How to watch Chelsea vs Luton Town live, stream link, time

Kickoff: 3 pm ET, Friday (August 25)

Online: Watch online via Peacock Premium