Callum Hudson-Odoi has lifted the lid on what his manager Maurizio Sarri told him before kick-off of Wednesday's encounter with Brighton. The youngster's inclusion in the starting line-up received massive appraisal among fans prior to the start of the encounter, as he successfully paid back the faith in him with a fine display.
The 18-year-old utilized his starting berth remarkably by providing the assist for Olivier Giroud to score Chelsea's opening goal. Two additional strikes from Eden Hazard and Ruben Loftus Cheek sealed off an emphatic 3-0 win for the Blues who moved two points ahead of Manchester United into fifth place.
Callum Hudson-Odoi vs Brighton
— FootballTalentScout (@FTalentScout) April 3, 2019
1 assist
65 passes
92% pass accuracy
2 shots
4 key passes
1 dribble won
3 tackles won
1 aerial won
Full Premier League debut, superb performance, world class talent. pic.twitter.com/LFhVbKPV0k
Speaking during a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Hudson-Odoi said: "I am very happy for the win and we all worked hard.
"We had to get rhythm and bounced back well. Today we got told the team and had to prepare mentally.
"The manager told me to go and express myself. I feel comfortable, hopefully I did well."
His compatriot Loftus-Cheek who scored the final goal of the night then added: "We have both worked all of our lives for this chance, years of hard work and now we start in a Premier League game together.
"That's good for the academy."
2 - Chelsea have had two English players (Hudson-Odoi & Loftus-Cheek) assist a goal in the same Premier League match for the first time since January 2012 against Bolton (Terry and A. Cole). Lions.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 3, 2019
Meanwhile, rumors of Hudson-Odoi possibly forcing a move away from Chelsea this summer still lingers with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona said to be monitoring his situation.
