Jorrel Hato has explained why he didn’t celebrate after opening the scoring for Chelsea against Charlton in the FA Cup.
The Blues defeated the Addicks 5-1 at The Valley in the third round of the competition, as new manager Liam Rosenior made his debut in the dugout.
The Dutchman, who has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge since his £37million arrival from Ajax, was handed a rare start by Rosenior against the Championship side, and he repaid his new boss’ faith immediately with the game’s opening goal in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.
The left-back lashed home inside Will Mannion’s near post to give his side the lead in south-east London after the ball had dropped kindly for him just inside the Charlton penalty area.
Speaking to TNT Sports afterwards, Hato was in shock that he had found the net.
"I was actually surprised that I hit it so that's why I didn't celebrate it, but very happy with my first goal for Chelsea and it's a nice way to do it,” he said. “I knew it was in."
Hato’s thunderbolt set the tone as Chelsea promptly made it two five minutes after the break through Tosin Adarabioyo.
Miles Leaburn halved the deficit for the hosts, who were then swept aside as Marc Guiu took over, netting the third before Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez stepped off the bench to notch the fourth and fifth in the dying embers.
Hato issued his verdict on Rosenior’s first few days in charge at Stamford Bridge since his arrival from sister club Strasbourg.
"He has his own way to play football and I think it is a good way and it suits us,” Hato continued.
“We had a lot of meetings with him to try to explain how he wants to play because it was a short time and I think today we showed what he wanted."
