On Sunday, I had the privilege of attending Chelsea’s fixture against Crystal Palace as a press member, marking the final day of gameweek three. The match at Stamford Bridge featured two teams with contrasting starts to the season—Palace coming off two consecutive league losses and Chelsea bouncing back from a defeat to champions Manchester City with a dominant win against Wolves.
Chelsea had beaten Palace in their last 14 meetings, making a victory for the Blues seem likely. Nicolas Jackson’s goal, arriving at the back post, was a product of a swift transition. When I asked Oliver Glasner about this, he pointed out that Palace are ‘vulnerable in transition,’ and credited Chelsea for capitalising on that weakness. On the other hand, Eberechi Eze’s goal for Palace was a brilliant strike, though some argue that Chelsea’s failure to clear the ball, particularly at the end of a set piece, contributed to the goal.
The game and post-match reactions provided insights into Chelsea’s current state. As the international break arrives, it will be interesting to see how questions are addressed and explored.
Tactical takeaways
Palmer playing deeper: Cole Palmer often dropped into deeper positions, especially in the second half, which saw Moises Caicedo shift beside Levi Colwill in the backline. While Palmer doing this created space for others by drawing pressure from players like Cheick Doucouré, it also highlighted issues as this negates his ability in half spaces and the final third.
Lavia’s absence: The lack of a press-resistant midfielder like Romeo Lavia was felt. Lavia’s presence as a linchpin could have provided more stability, especially against Palace’s threatening cut-backs in the final third when they started growing into the game after their equaliser. Chelsea struggled to build up effectively from deep in the second half, perhaps Lavia’s vertical passing would have been particularly beneficial.
Substitutions: Joao Felix, who thrives in the half-spaces and between the lines, was less effective when played as a touchline winger. This also applied to Christopher Nkunku, emphasising the need to maybe use them in their preferred roles to maximise their impact.
Questions moving forward for Chelsea
Enzo playing advanced: The experiment of Enzo Fernandez playing as a 10 raises questions. He struggled with ball retention in the game, and his first touch in advanced, tight spaces let him down. Some think that Enzo appears most effective when positioned deeper, when he moves the ball quickly and distributes passes all across the pitch. We will have to see how his performance evolves and whether his positioning changes in the future, as it’s still uncertain where he’ll be most effective across the midfield.
Lack of clean sheets and defending set pieces: While the centre-back pairing is growing in confidence, there are still some concerns. Post-game, Enzo Maresca described Eze’s goal as ‘fantastic’ and remarked that the save was ‘impossible for Rob (Sanchez).’. However, set pieces, particularly in phase two remain an issue as the goal originated from lack of efficiency in these situations. Questions remain about consistency in these areas.
Will Sancho solve the left-wing issue?: There’s an argument that Maresca’s preference for inverted wingers could make Jadon Sancho a fit for the left wing. Sancho is good in tight spaces, but Maresca has emphasised that players must fight for their positions, so immediate involvement isn’t guaranteed.
Is there a right-back issue?: Malo Gusto hobbled off the pitch in the 74th minute, to what Maresca later described as a ‘muscle problem’. Caicedo shifted to replace him at right-back. However, with Reece James’ suspension over, will he be fit to return to action after picking up a minor hamstring injury?
Written by Abbie Jensen (@abbiiiiex)
Edited by Harrison Burridge (@hburridge2)
Follow us on: