Chelsea starlet Gabriel Slonina gave Graham Potter plenty to think about as he impressed in the club's Premier League 2 clash against Arsenal at Kingsmeadow on Monday night. The 18-year-old joined up with the Blues in January after signing for the club from MLS outfit Chicago Fire in the summer.
He has spent time with the first team in training since arriving at Cobham and has already played three times for the Under-21 side and produced a moment of true quality on a high-quality evening. Arsenal included first team members Emile Smith Rowe and new January signing Jakub Kiwior in their side.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchinson also featured for Chelsea, two players who have made senior appearances this season but have fallen out of favour as a bloated squad limits game time for young players under Potter.
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With questions over Chelsea's long-term goalkeeping choice, it was a chance for Slonina to show what he can do, continuing a run of three clean sheets since making his debut earlier this year.
It didn't take him long to prove his point either. After less than 10 minutes he lept to his left and into the top corner to deny Smith Rowe with a brilliant save. Even at academy level, it was a stunning display of shot-stopping but with the shot coming from an England international it had added weight to it.
Slonina is unlikely to be called upon by Potter any time soon with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy occupying the two first choice roles at the club whilst Marcus Bettinelli is important for the squad as a homegrown third choice. Slonina has a chance to make a name for himself ahead of a potential summer loan move away though.
He was handed a first international cap by Gregg Berhalter in a friendly last month, playing 90 minutes in a 2-1 defeat to Serbia. Slonina holds a handful of records for his experience in MLS at such a young age and was courted for by Real Madrid and other top European sides before choosing Chelsea last year, a demonstration of his standing in the game already.
Slonina also commanded his box well throughout the game and helped his side to a 1-0 victory over their London rivals, thanks to a late goal from Leo Castledine.
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