PARIS: An emotional Alvaro Morata snapped his recent goal drought with the only goal of the game on Thursday as Chelsea recorded their second straight 1-0 victory in the Europa League, against plucky Hungarian side Vidi.
Elsewhere, substitute Patrick Cutrone netted twice in nine minutes to lift AC Milan to a 3-1 comeback triumph at home to Greece’s Olympiakos Piraeus and teenage forward Emile Smith Rowe scored his first senior goal as Arsenal made the most of their longest-ever trip for a European game by winning 3-0 at Qarabag in Azerbaijan but Sevilla suffered a shock defeat by Russians Krasnodar.
Like Chelsea, Milan and Arsenal, last year’s semi-finalists RB Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Zurich, Sporting Lisbon, Eintracht Frankfurt, Krasnodar and Dinamo Zagreb also made it two victories from two group games.
Vidi, previously known as Videoton, reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 1985 and made life difficult for Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea with a disciplined defensive display.
Spain striker Morata, without a goal since August 18, wasted a terrific chance in the first half at Stamford Bridge but atoned with a sharp finish on 70 minutes when he swept the ball in from close range following a header from Brazil playmaker Willian, to earn Chelsea maximum points against Vidi.
Substitute Ross Barkley also headed against the crossbar, while Kepa Arrizabalaga — the world’s most expensive goalkeeper — produced an excellent save to deny Istvan Kovacs a late equaliser.
“If after a goal he wants to cry, I hope to see him cry very often,” Sarri said of Morata, who scored for just the second time in 10 outings this season. “It’s very important for him to score. I think it’s very important for him to play a very good match. He played a very good match.”