If Chelsea are to repeat last season’s run to the Carabao Cup final, they will face tougher competition than Barrow, with the League Two leaders never standing a chance against a B team as superior as this one.
Enzo Maresca made 11 changes, but he was hardly a bargain for the Blues. He cost £415.8m to sign and naturally that superiority was evident on a night when Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick.
Nkunku cost £52m when he joined Chelsea, while there were also Mykhailo Mudryk (£89m), Pedro Neto (£54m) and Joao Felix (£46.3m) among the starters in attack. And that was before he came on to the bench, where there was a £50m full-back in Ben Chilwell, who came on in the second half to mark his first minutes of the season after ending his exile.
In addition to Nkunku’s hat-trick, an unfortunate own goal from Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman and a Neto finish completed the five-star scoreline.
It was to the visiting fans’ credit that they never stopped singing throughout this football lesson at Stamford Bridge; those who made the 600-mile round trip had perhaps accepted their fate as soon as the line-ups were confirmed.
Christopher Nkunku (right) made the most of his start against Barrow by scoring a hat-trick.
Joao Felix’s free-kick deflected off the back of Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman and Chelsea went into the break 3-0 up.
Pedro Neto scored his first goal for the Blues since his £53million move from Wolves this summer.
They were determined to have fun and ended the evening singing: “We are the best in the league.”
Rory Feely’s long throw-ins had given them hope of opening the scoring, but Chelsea took the lead in the eighth minute with a goal that showcased their spectacular talent. It was the most artistic assist the Carabao Cup is likely to see this season, when Felix, facing down the Barrow defence, sent the ball over the goal for Nkunku to volley past Farman.
Nkunku scored again in the 15th minute, this time heading in a Malo Gusto cross after a Neto backheel.
When Gusto was fouled 25 metres from goal, Felix stepped up to the free kick in the centre. He hit the post, but the ball bounced off Farman and he scored an own goal to make it 3-0 in the 30th minute.
Chelsea were playing without a shirt sponsor, and had yet to secure one after a summer of negotiations. The club has run into complications due to a lack of Champions League games, but is now in talks with Qatar Airways and two other major airlines to rectify that.
Chilwell had not expected to be back in the blue shirt after being told in the last transfer window that he should prepare to be sold or at least loaned out. Maresca had privately told him that he did not need him at left-back. However, after the move fell through, the Chelsea manager made the decision to reinstate him into the first team.
Farman was surprised by Nkunku late in the match, who calmly turned around and converted an empty goal.
The Frenchman brought out his trademark celebration after completing his hat-trick at Stamford Bridge
Chilwell came on in the second half. Chelsea fans cheered his name when it was announced over the PA system, as well as his first touch of the ball, with the England international even donning the captain’s armband.
Chelsea scored their fourth goal from the left side of the pitch in the 47th minute. The goal started with Nkunku passing to Mudryk, who unselfishly passed the ball to Neto. The summer signing did not miss and Farman worked hard to score his first goal for the club.
Chelsea, not feeling too merciful, went in search of a fifth. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall thought he had it in the 62nd minute, but his volley was blocked by Ben Jackson.
Then came the academy boys, with Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George coming on in the final half-hour. Chelsea pundits find it frustrating how much criticism they get for signing big players while they have a perfectly good production line at Cobham.
However, the Premier League club can cite this as proof that they are not looking down on their own, and George should have scored when he only had to beat Farman.
In the 69th minute, Kian Spence forced Filip Jorgensen into an acrobatic save as his free-kick appeared to be heading towards the top right corner. Jorgensen was grateful to be able to get hold of the ball after a mass confusion in the goal area led to a general stir.
Enzo Maresca’s confidence in his new uniform was rewarded with a show of confidence on Tuesday night.
This was Barrow’s best moment of the match, but in the 75th minute Farman lost the ball. Nkunku took the opportunity to take it from him and, with the Barrow goalkeeper out of the picture, he took possession of the match ball.
This time, he performed his trademark celebration, pulling a blue balloon from his sock and inflating it as Chelsea advanced to the next round of the Carabao Cup without breaking a sweat.