Andrey Santos reacts to Malo Gusto’s Chelsea message as first goal taken off him
Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo have each reacted to a new message from Malo Gusto after he helped Chelsea in the Club World Cup.
The Blues faced Palmeiras in Philadelphia on Saturday (5 July) for a place in the semi-finals of the new, revamped tournament.
Enzo Maresca’s team selection raised some eyebrows, as Newcastle target Christopher Nkunku was handed a starting berth, while Santos replaced Reece James in the team late on after the England international picked up an injury.
Chelsea took the lead within 16 minutes as the ever-influential Cole Palmer coolly slotted home for his first goal of the competition, but they were pegged back in the second-half as Estevao, who joined the Blues last summer in a deal worth £29m, netted at tight angle to level the scores.
The Brazilian side’s legs grew tired as the game went on, and it was Chelsea who came away with the victory to progress into the semi-finals, with France international Gusto playing a huge part in their late winner.
Gusto reacts after his deflected cross wins the game for Chelsea
Gusto found himself in a decent crossing position for Chelsea in the 83rd minute, just inside the box, and his delivery was diverted towards the goal by Agustin Giay, before goalkeeper Weverton then nudged it over the line for 2-1.
Maresca’s side secured the victory, and they will now face another Brazilian outfit in Fluminense on Tuesday, 8 July, for a place in the CWC final in New Jersey.
Gusto took to Instagram on Saturday (5 July) morning to react to the victory and his part in the winning goal, saying: “One step closer. Semi-finals secured, let’s keep pushing. First goal still loading.” with an eyes emoji.
His message was reacted to by Blues teammates Santos and Dario Essugo, who each left a like, while former Chelsea man and current West Ham and Everton target Omari Hutchinson and Stamford Bridge outcast Ben Chilwell also followed suit.
Gusto will continue to be important for Chelsea amid James’ potential injury woes
Football Insider verdict
Gusto was a key player under Enzo Maresca throughout the majority of the campaign, with two assists from 42 appearances in all competitions.
The 22-year-old has played in all five of the Blues’ CWC matches so far, with three starts amid right-back competitor James’ move into midfield.
| Appearances | Assists | Yellow Cards |
| 83 | 11 | 12 |
Despite impressing at times last term, Gusto put in a poor performance in Chelsea’s Conference League final win over Real Betis, and exit rumours have circled this summer after he was dropped from the starting eleven towards the end of the campaign.
Former scout Mick Brown revealed to Football Insider ahead of the recent January window that Liverpool were eyeing up a move for Gusto at the end of the season, and exit rumours have continued into the summer with German outlet Bild recently reporting that Bayern Munich are after the 22-year-old.
His performance against Palmeiras was a display of why Chelsea should definitely not look to sell him anytime soon, as he already has quality and can improve at just 22-years-old, while James’ consistent injury woes over the years mean he is unreliable and they need a strong back-up like Gusto in case the England man is once again injured.