Mykhaylo Mudryk made his highly-anticipated Premier League debut on Saturday, with the Ukrainian sensation playing for the very first time for his new club Chelsea in their trip to Anfield.
The 22-year-old started that showdown with Liverpool on the bench but shortly before the hour mark, Potter decided to bring him on the pitch in order to spark life into what had been a drab affair. And just as everyone hoped, the former Shakhtar ace wasted no time in getting the fans off their feet, dribbling past opponents, setting up teammates, and coming close to scoring on two occasions.
The game ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw but Mudryk exhibited the two things he's known for in that short cameo: his dribbling and his jaw-dropping speed. In fact, the winger already achieved a Premier League milestone during his 35 minutes on the pitch.
As revealed by the English top flight's official Twitter page, Mykhaylo hit a top speed of 36.63 kilometers per hour which is already the quickest clocked speed in the league so far this season, narrowly edging out Everton's Anthony Gordan (36.61 K/H).
The new @ChelseaFC signing has the quickest recorded speed this season pic.twitter.com/VDCJ4SI9lD
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 24, 2023
The scariest thing about Mudryk's short cameo was how impressive he was despite being unfit. Prior to the Anfield outing, the Ukrainian talent last played a professional game on November 23 and thus could not have been at his sharpest.
Next up for Potter's side is a rematch with Fulham in the Premier League. The London giants lost 2-1 to their city rivals just over a week ago and will be aiming for revenge as they attempt to overcome the 10-point deficit on fourth-placed Manchester United. Mudryk, on the other hand, will be hoping for his first start and first goal contribution in a Chelsea shirt.
