It’s natural to question why Chelsea ventured over 3,000 miles from their home grounds – yet the greater absurdity is their presence in the Conference League to begin with.

The trip to the remote areas of Kazakhstan, where temperatures plummeted to -14C upon Enzo Maresca’s squad’s arrival, was always more significant than the Astana team waiting for them.

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This recent Conference League encounter resulted in three goals, five debuts, and Chelsea’s sixth consecutive victory, sending them into the last 16 after Christmas.

Everything seems bright and well – yet it all feels somewhat superfluous at this stage of the competition.

Maresca insists he will concentrate solely on the immediate challenges at hand, but if they don’t appear in Wroclaw for the final in May, something will have gone terribly wrong.

Chelsea currently leads their group, clinching victory in all five matches, scoring 21 goals while only conceding four.

Following a grueling eight-hour journey through two conflict zones, Chelsea’s youthful squad displayed remarkable composure in Almaty.

Maresca advised his players to adjust to English time during their travels.

For the most part, they faced this hurdle with confidence, performing like it was a casual afternoon on a well-maintained, snow-covered pitch.

Pedro Neto, serving a suspension for the upcoming match against Brentford, was the only starter from the Tottenham game to make the journey east, and he truly stepped up.

After his initial attempt was thwarted by Astana’s cap-wearing goalkeeper, Neto played a crucial role in assisting the first two goals for Guiu.

The opener came from a stunning solo effort, as the former Barcelona player picked up the ball in a wide position, glided past the Astana defense effortlessly, and finished neatly at the near post.

His second goal came purely from instinct, as Guiu couldn’t have anticipated such an outcome.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sent Neto wide, whose cross fortuitously found Guiu’s hip and entered the net.

With a two-goal cushion, Chelsea eased back until, 20 minutes later, Renato Veiga headed in a third goal.

The Portuguese midfielder found himself unmarked in the Astana box, elevating to connect with a corner delivered by Dewsbury-Hall.

Even with a comfortable lead, Chelsea was stirred when captain Marin Tomasov maneuvered inside Veiga to slot the ball into the far corner just before halftime, offering a glimmer of hope for the hosts in the second half.

Filip Jorgensen had to parry another attempt from the Croatian after the break as Maresca began implementing changes.

Harvey Vale nearly marked his debut with a goal on his first touch, alongside near misses from Tyrique George and Dewsbury-Hall.

Nonetheless, the second half was marked by control and composure from the youthful squad.

Chelsea’s trajectory is upward, with all key figures back home, preparing for the Brentford clash on Sunday.

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