Chelsea beat Wrexham 5-0 in their first game under Maurico Pochettino (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

CHELSEA 5-0 WREXHAM: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were both missing from a big crowd in North Carolina as Mauricio Pochettino got his stint as Blues manager off to a winning start

Chelsea started life under Mauricio Pochettino with a win as Wrexham got their long-awaited tour of the United States underway.

There was huge interest in the clash between the Premier League giants and the newly-promoted League Two club as the two teams met for the first time in over 40 years. Instead of playing in the old Second Division, now the Championship, the two teams were greeted by a sell-out crowd at the 51,000-capacity Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Wrexham’s celebrity owners Ryan Reyolds and Rob McElhenney were not amongst those in attendance as their side were beaten 5-0 by Pochettino’s new-look side. Ian Maatsen scored a first-half double before Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku and Ben Chilwell all scored late on after both teams made wholesale changes.

Here’s five things you might’ve missed from the match, which took place at 8pm Eastern Time but was in the middle of the night for Chelsea or Wrexham fans back at home.

Wrexham keep Blues waiting

Wrexham kept Chelsea waiting before their first game on US soil. The Blues were lined up in the tunnel with a 50,596-strong crowd waiting for them to appear at Chapel Hill in North Carolina but Wrexham seemed in no rush.

Mauricio Pochettino’s players and the officials were left waiting for several minutes as Wrexham failed to emerge from their dressing room at the same time. There was an awkward delay as everyone apart from Wrexham seemed ready to get the party started.

It is unclear what caused the delay, but Blues players – led by captain on the day Trevoh Chalobah – looked visibly confused and frustrated at the delay. Eventually, a match official made his way back down the tunnel to rush the Red Dragons on their way.

HAVE YOUR SAY! How do you think Wrexham will fare back in the Football League? Join the discussion in the comments section.

Ian Maatsen scored a first-half double for Chelsea as he stakes his first-team claim ( Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

They finally emerged in their new white away kit, led by captain Ben Tozer and followed by goalkeeper Ben Foster and were all smiles as they came face to face with their Chelsea counterparts.

Eventually, the game kicked off at 8:04 pm ET with the whistle met by a huge cheer from the sell-out American crowd.

Dream start for Jackson

Nicolas Jackson was a signing which raised eyebrows as Chelsea look for their new focal point in attack. The £32million signing from Villarreal has penned an eight-year deal and must now prove he is a wise investment.

It took less than three minutes for Jackson to show a glimpse of what convinced Chelsea to invest in him. Starting up front, he received the ball deep and brushed past Ben Tozer, drew in three Wrexham defenders then fed Ian Maatsen with brilliant composure for a simple finish beyond Ben Foster.

Nicolas Jackson enjoyed a particularly impressive debut for Chelsea in the first-half ( Image: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Whilst it was a memorable moment for Maatsen, fresh off the back of his successful loan spell with Burnley, the assist marked a dream start to life in a Blue shirt for Jackson.

Tougher tests will lie ahead, but Pochettino and co. will hope that the ideal start is a catalyst for a strong first season in the Premier League as Jackson looks to emerge as the man Chelsea need to provide a focal point in attack.

Pochettino’s tactics

It was the start of a new era for Chelsea and a first glimpse at how they will look under new manager Maurico Pochettino.

His first starting lineup had many fans expecting a back five, but that was not the case with a 4-2-3-1 system instead on display. The Blues lined up Marc Cucurella at left-back and Ian Maatsen deployed further forward, grabbing two first-half goals in the process.

Mauricio Pochettino took charge of Chelsea for the first time ( Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

The midfield saw highly-rated youngsters Cesare Casadei and Andrey Santos form a double-pivot with Carney Chukwuemeka further forward and playing just off lone striker Nicholas Jackson in the No.10 role. That worked nicely as Chukwuemeka fed Maatsen for his well-taken second goal with a neat flick in a tight space on the edge of the box.

There were wholesale changes at the break including the entire front four with Christopher Nkunku replacing Jackson as the No.9, Brazilian winger Angelo making his debut and both Raheem Sterling and Conor Gallagher being introduced.

Late on, Marc Cucurella did come back on for the final five minutes after being substituted at half-time. He came back as a left centre-back as Pochettino explored a back three for the closing stages with Ben Chilwell at wing-back.

More broadly, there was a noticeable return of a high press for the Blues as they looked to defend from the front and stop Wrexham from getting into a rhythm. They successfully did just that, and it was an encouraging first glimpse at Pochettino’s vision.

America shows love for Wrexham

Cast your mind back to 2020 and it would’ve been hard to imagine Wrexham being as big a draw in America as newly crowned European champions Chelsea.

But the power of Hollywood was on full display as the Red Dragons, who have become a huge hit thanks to the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series charting their rise under owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were the team thousands wanted to see.

It must be remembered that the Blues have made plenty of trips to the USA in recent years and the novelty value surrounding Wrexham is currently sky-high. But there is little doubt that Wrexham were a massive draw in front of a sold-out crowd in North Carolina, which also featured huge numbers of Chelsea fans.

A huge crowd was at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina ( Image: David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Bursts of ‘Wrexham! Wrexham! Wrexham!’ broke out at various stages and there was an energy whenever the Welsh side were able to launch an attack. In the second half, an American fan within earshot of the camera could be heard passionately trying to launch a ‘super Paul Mullin’ chant.

As someone whose dad is from Wrexham and has grown up watching them, it still seems mind-blowing the way the story has captured an American audience. If there were any doubts as to just to what extent that has been the case, they were dispelled in North Carolina.

At the moment, Wrexham loves America and it will be fascinating to see how the rest of their pre-season tour plays out.

Ryan and Rob miss out

Wrexham are in America because of the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney effect – but neither of the celebrity owners was there to see their side take on Chelsea.

Ryan Reynolds is currently in the United Kingdom filming Deadpool 3, preventing him from being in America to see his beloved side take on the Premier League’s elite. McElhenney is much closer to home but was unable to make it to North Carolina.

ESPN commentators stated that McElhenney is hoping to make it to the remaining three games of the US tour, which will conclude in his hometown, Philadelphia, against Philadelphia Union II on July 28.

Soucre: mirror.co.uk