Chelsea secured a convincing 5-1 victory over Ajax in their Champions League match at Stamford Bridge, capitalizing on an early red card to the visitors. Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo scored in the first half, with three penalties contributing to the Blues' dominance before Tyrique George added a fifth.
Chelsea hosted Ajax at Stamford Bridge in a Champions League league phase fixture on October 22, 2025. The Blues, coming off wins against Benfica, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest, aimed to build on their mixed start in the competition—one win and one loss. Ajax, managed by Johnny Heitinga, had lost their opening two games.
Enzo Maresca named a rotated lineup for Chelsea, starting Filip Jorgensen in goal, with Moises Caicedo, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Jorrel Hato, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, Estevao, Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Gittens, and Marc Guiu up front. Ajax lined up with Remko Pasveer in goal, alongside Devyne Rosa, Ko Itakura, Josip Sutalo, Ahmet Ilgaz Sutalo, Kenneth Taylor, Kristian Hlynsson, Godts, Baas, McConnell, and Wout Weghorst.
The match began at a high tempo, with Chelsea establishing control. In the 15th minute, Ajax's Kenneth Taylor received a red card for a horrendous tackle on Facundo Buonanotte, reducing the Dutch side to 10 men. Three minutes later, at the 18-minute mark, Chelsea took the lead when Wesley Fofana headed across goal for Guiu to tap in at 1-0.
Chelsea doubled their advantage in the 27th minute as Caicedo scored from outside the box, his shot deflecting into the net for 2-0. Ajax pulled one back in the 31st minute via a penalty converted by Weghorst after a foul on Tosin, making it 2-1.
Before halftime, two more penalties were awarded. Enzo Fernandez converted the first in the 45th minute after a foul on Estevao, restoring the two-goal lead at 3-1. Estevao then scored his first Champions League goal from the spot shortly after, making it 4-1 at the break. This marked the first Champions League game with three first-half penalties scored.
In the second half, Tyrique George added a fifth goal for Chelsea in the 51st minute, finishing confidently inside the box to seal the 5-1 win. No further goals came, though Chelsea substitute Charlie Walsh made his Champions League debut.
Maresca had previewed a tough match, saying, "It's a club that in the past, in the present, they always try to play their kind of football... they won this competition in the past." Guiu became Chelsea's youngest Champions League scorer briefly, before Estevao took the record. The result positions Chelsea favorably ahead of November fixtures against Qarabag and Barcelona.
Absences for Chelsea included Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, and suspended Joao Pedro.
