Chelsea ease past 10-man Rennes after Kai Havertz tests positive for Covid-19

Chelsea took a grip on Champions League Group E on a night when they announced a positive coronavirus test for Kai Havertz, the £72m signing from Bayer Leverkusen. They were helped by a pedantic VAR penalty decision that also resulted in a Rennes red card. It was an occasion that encapsulated the challenges and bitter frustrations of football in 2020. Timo Werner had already scored once from the spot and the Rennes left-back, Dalbert, been booked for the concession when there came one of those depressing and head-scratching moments that feels so typical of the modern game. Tammy Abraham had a shot blocked just inside the area by Dalbert in the 37th minute and nobody seemed too fussed about it. But then came the forensic investigation by VAR, which spotted that the ball had hit Dalbert’s shin and reared up to catch his arm, which he had accidentally raised a little too high. In the digital eyes of the law, it added up to another penalty and, even more heartlessly, a second yellow card for Dalbert. Werner scored again and Rennes, who are competing in Europe’s elite tournament for the first time, were broken. Chelsea had not played with any fluency in the first half but, equally, they had been untroubled at the back. The former would change after the break and the latter did not as the club’s new goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, previously of Rennes, was able to enjoy a sixth clean sheet in seven matches. Mendy had only one save to make – from a shot by the Rennes substitute, Clément Grenier, in the 84th minute – but he made it, diving to push the ball away and, having been quiet all evening, it spoke volumes for his concentration levels. What a difference Mendy has made to the Chelsea defence and the same can be said of another new signing, Thiago Silva, who again oozed authority at centre-half. Over at right-back, Reece James had an encouraging game and it was his cross that teed up Abraham for the third goal. Frank Lampard reported that Havertz’s positive test had shown up on Monday and the result was confirmed by a second one on Tuesday. Every other Chelsea player tested by Uefa was negative. “Kai had minor symptoms on Tuesday and they have escalated slightly but he is fine,” Lampard said. “He’s at home, isolating. He’s doing the right thing. It’s one of those things in the modern day.” Full report here