Ajax embarrassed in London with 5-1 loss to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League
Ajax suffered another embarrassing display on Wednesday evening, losing 5-1 to Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League at Stamford Bridge. The Amsterdammers are currently bottom of all 36 teams in the Champions League this season, having conceded 11 goals in three games.
It is the sixth consecutive game that Ajax have lost in European competition, and it is only the second time that this has happened, with the first time coming in the 1987-88 season, however that run included the European Cup Winners cup semi-final second leg, and the final.
A difficult task for Ajax was made even more difficult in the 15th minute when the team’s captain, Kenneth Taylor, was sent off for a reckless challenge. The midfielder lunged in after losing control of the ball and landed with his studs on the ankle of Frederico Buananotte.
It got even worse for Ajax when Chelsea scored from the resulting free kick. A low cross into the box was missed by the Ajax defense and headed across the box to Marc Guiu by Wesley Fofana. The Spanish striker bundled the ball past Remko Pasveer to give Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
The Ajax fans made their feelings heard towards manager John Heitinga when he substituted Oscar Gloukh shortly after this for Jorthy Mokio. Heitinga had also taken Gloukh off on Saturday in the team’s 2-0 loss to AZ to the fans' chagrin. “Schaam je kapot,” the Ajax fans sang, which translates to “you should be ashamed,” while Chelsea fans piled on by singing that he would get “sacked in the morning.
Chelsea got their second goal in the 27th minute. Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo’s shot was deflected past Pasveer via the legs of Josip Sutalo.
This came a minute before Ajax were awarded a penalty out of nowhere. A clumsy challenge from Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo on Raul Moro resulted in the referee Felix Zwayer pointing to the spot. With the usual pen taker, Taylor, having been sent off, Wout Weghorst stepped up to take it. His penalty was not well hit, but it went in to make it 2-1.
Weghorst was involved in another penalty before halftime, but at the wrong end of the pitch. The striker put in a slide tackle on Argentinian midfielder Enzo Fernández, which Zwayer deemed to be a foul. Fernandez took the penalty himself and scored it to make it 3-1.
Although this goal came in the 45th minute, it was not the last penalty of the half. Youri Baas put in a clumsy challenge, similar to the foul that Adarabioyo made in the earlier stages of the first half, on Estevao. The Brazilian winger took the resulting penalty and converted it to make it 4-1 going into halftime.
It is the second time in the club’s history that they have conceded four goals in the first half of a European match. The first came in 1958 against the Hungarian side Vasas.
Chelsea got their fifth and final goal of the game a few minutes after halftime. A clever pass from Romeo Lavia found Andrey Santos, who was stopped by Ko Itakura, but the ball then went to Tyrique George, and his shot was deflected into the goal via Lucas Rosa.
It is now four games without a win for Heitinga as Ajax manager, and the pressure is starting to mount. The Amsterdammers have another tough game on Sunday, away to FC Twente.
