On Friday, ex-Napoli player Kalidou Koulibaly made his first start as a Chelsea player against a familiar opponent in Udinese Calcio.
The central defender played 72 minutes before he was replaced by 18 year old Harvey Vale. Chelsea were ahead 2-1 when Koulibaly was removed. Mason Mount scored in the 90th minute to secure the 3-1 victory.
Koulibaly was solid as ever, continuing to prove to Chelsea fans that he was worth the investment. In the 36th minute, he made a perfectly-timed slide tackle to intercept Roberto Pereyra’s through ball intended for Gerard Deulofeu.
The victory came only five days after Koulibaly made his Chelsea debut in a Florida Cup friendly match against Arsenal. Though he played only 17 minutes in the 4-0 defeat, Koulibaly impressed his new manager Thomas Tuchel.
“He was the best player on the pitch…I felt incredibly good. I have to say, on an evening when nothing felt good. Just felt very good.”
