Christopher Nkunku shares what he told Malo Gusto to do vs Barrow that worked out perfectly

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Christopher Nkunku has shared the details of an interesting pre-match conversation he had with teammate Malo Gusto before Chelsea’s win against Barrow this week.

Christopher Nkunku, 26, was the star of the show on Tuesday night. The French attacker scored his first Chelsea hat-trick as his side thrashed League Two opposition Barrow 5-0 at home in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Blues head coach Enzo Maresca heavily rotated for the midweek cup tie, making 11 changes to the side that recently beat West Ham in the Premier League. It’s a testament to the club’s strength in depth that they still fielded a very strong XI.

Nkunku has now scored six goals in eight games across all competitions this season. He’s still having difficulty forcing his way into the starting line-up in league matches, though.

Nkunku is scoring every 4.5 shots in the Premier League, so finding a way to squeeze him into the team must be so tempting.

• READ MORE: Christopher Nkunku has warning for Chelsea teammates despite beating Barrow 5-0

Christopher Nkunku explains Malo Gusto conversation

Nkunku has shared that he had a pre-match chat with Chelsea teammate Malo Gusto about tactics against Barrow.

He’s explained that he asked the right-back to deliver crosses to the near post, which is a plan that worked perfectly when the pair combined for the Blues’ second goal on Tuesday evening.

Nkunku said via Chelsea’s official YouTube channel: “I spoke with Malo [Gusto] before the game to cross to the near post. The ball was a little bit behind me, but I tried to finish with one touch and that was the best move I could do.”

A remarkable hat-trick

There’s some people that have questioned whether Nkunku’s got the characteristics to lead the line because he’s versatile and often drops deeper to link play. However, his highlight package against Barrow suggests he’s a proper No.9.

First of all, Nkunku broke the deadlock with a controlled side-footed volley after a magical chip over the top from Joao Felix.

As mentioned above, he then doubled his and Chelsea’s tally when he combined with Gusto. The centre-forward had to improvise with an instinctive back heel after meeting Gusto’s low cross into the penalty area.

Finally, Nkunku completed his hat-trick in the second half after closing down the goalkeeper and then tucking the ball into an empty net as a reward for his pressing.