Cole Palmer woeful, 8/10 shines – Chelsea player ratings v Crystal Palace
Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace in the opening game of their Premier League season on Sunday.
Crystal Palace thought they took a first-half lead on 17 August when Tottenham bound Eberechi Eze struck a freekick beyond the reach of Robert Sanchez.
However, Eze’s strike was disallowed after a video review because Marc Guehi was less than a yard away from the Chelsea wall as the set-piece was taken.
Neither side could break the deadlock in the second half, ensuring that Enzo Maresca‘s men yielded a 0-0 draw with Oliver Glasner’s side.
Chelsea team ratings v Crystal Palace
Robert Sanchez – 6
Sanchez‘s positioning didn’t cover him in glory when Eze’s freekick found the back of the net, and he would have been relieved when the VAR review fell in his side’s favour. The Spaniard deserves credit for maintaining his clean sheet, though.
Reece James – 6
The England international couldn’t always deal with the threat of Tyrick Mitchell and Eze down his flank, and his defensive shortcomings were shown when he was brandished a yellow card. However, Reece James looked bright going forward.
Trevoh Chalobah – 6
Trevoh Chalobah seldom put a foot wrong against his former club, but was outshone by centre-back partner Josh Acheampong.
Josh Acheampong – 8
The 19-year-old, who made just four Premier League appearances last season, did not look out of place in West London on Sunday. Acheampong did remarkably well to extinguish the physical threat of Jean-Philippe Mateta. His efforts will be crucial as Maresca copes with Levi Colwill’s long-term injury this term.
Marc Cucurella – 6
Contrastingly to fellow fullback James, Marc Cucurella performed well defensively, but didn’t display his attacking exploits.
Enzo Fernandez – 5
The 2022 World Cup winner played his role in protecting the Chelsea back four, but he failed to show his creativity, despite playing well in a more advanced position in the Club World Cup.
Moises Caicedo – 7
Moises Caicedo capably demonstrated his usual defensive qualities, and performed well in possession, rarely giving the ball away.
Pedro Neto – 5
Pedro Neto demonstrated his exceptional pace, but lacked real quality and end product when it mattered most.
Cole Palmer – 4
A vastly below par performance from Cole Palmer, who will be eager to put things right when Chelsea face London rivals West Ham on Friday, 22 August.
Jamie Gittens – 6
Summer signing Jamie Gittens showed the Stamford Bridge crowd some glimpses of the quality he can bring on the wing, but ultimately wasn’t clinical when it mattered.
Joao Pedro – 4
An all round disappointing Premier League debut for Chelsea from Joao Pedro, who mustered just two shots in 73 minutes before being replaced by Liam Delap.
Substitutes
Estevao (for Gittens, 54) – 6
Estevao shone in the pre-season win over Leverkusen, and the Blues faithful were enthused when he entered the field of play against Palace. The Brazilian instantly showed his flair when he got the better of Guehi before whipping in a cross for Neto. However, he fired an effort well over the bar from inside the box, lacking composure.
Liam Delap (for Pedro, 73) – 5
Liam Delap would have hoped for a dream Premier League debut for Chelsea, after largely performing well in the Club World Cup. However, he couldn’t make the most of a late opportunity.
Andrey Santos (for Fernandez, 79) – 4
Did little other than smashing the chance to win the game well over the crossbar.
Malo Gusto (for James, 79) – 5