A much-changed Chelsea side were left frustrated in front of their own supporters as Krasnodar earned a 1-1 draw in the Champions League dead rubber at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard’s side had already been assured of top spot in Group E but former Newcastle midfielder Remy Cabella gave the Russian Premier League side the lead after 24 minutes.
Chelsea responded immediately when Jorginho converted from the spot following a foul on Tammy Abraham (28) but the hosts were unable to make their territorial dominance count during a tepid second period.
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With Sevilla beating Rennes 3-1 in Tuesday night’s other group encounter, Chelsea finish a point ahead of the Spaniards at the top, with Krasnodar in third having already guaranteed themselves a Europa League berth.
Chelsea teenagers given chance to shine
Lampard lauded the potential of Gilmour and Anjorin during the build-up, although will the pair, like many before them, struggle to break through at the club?
Anjorin, at the Blues since under-7 level, was making his first start and third senior appearance. Described as a box-to-box midfielder, the Dorset-born player stayed largely on the left of the pitch and produced a couple of loose balls early on before settling.
He came close to an assist when his peach of a pass into the area for Kai Havertz was not given a suitable finish by the German midfielder.
Gilmour made a big impression last season before he suffered a knee injury in July that kept him out of action until last week when he came on in the final minutes of the 4-0 thumping of Sevilla.
The Scot, who moved from Rangers to Chelsea at 16, was excellent in linking the play between the midfield and the likes of Abraham and Havertz further forward. One early strike on goal would have tested Gorodov had it not come off Abraham’s shoulder, while a half-volley was easily saved by the Russian keeper.
As for Kepa, he was making his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt since October. Aside from picking the ball out of the net, the only other time the Spaniard got his jersey dirty was in diving to push away Wanderson’s angled strike.
With speculation over moves for both Kepa and Gilmour in January, it will be interesting to see how many more appearances the pair will make for the high-flying Blues this season.
Lampard suggested that Gilmour, who is hoping to make Scotland’s Euro 2020 squad, might not leave on loan in the next window.
“The way he played today and how he trains, I see him growing with us,” said the Blues manager, who also praised Anjorin. “He’s going to be a Chelsea player so it’s just about making sure the pathway is right for him.
“He made that pathway right last season and then got injured at the wrong time but playing like he did today, he’s got a lot to offer us.”
Lampard also stated that wingers Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi have hamstring injuries and are likely to be sidelined for two weeks.
