Marc Cucurella experiment frustrates – Chelsea’s three losers vs Burnley
Enzo Maresca must address several weaknesses despite Chelsea claiming a 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.
With Cole Palmer missing through injury again, Pedro Neto was trusted to carry the attack, with both Liam Delap and Joao Pedro having very limited chances in the final third.
In addition to their star player missing, Wesley Fofana was also absent from the matchday squad, and the lack of depth meant that the Clarets had opportunities to get a result on Saturday, 22 November.
However, following smart play from substitute Marc Guiu, Maresca was able to secure all three points away from Stamford Bridge, which saw the Blues move to second in the Premier League table.
Watching the game unfold, Football Insider have listed three of Chelsea‘s biggest strugglers.
Marc Cucurella
While Marc Cucurella made an impact going forward, the Spaniard being out of position allowed Burnley to attack, leaving his teammates susceptible on the counterattack.
Due to his being out of position, he also felt forced to commit a foul in the first half when the Blues were in an attacking position, which caused more frustration for the travelling fans at Turf Moor.
Reece James
Reece James has been in fine form for Chelsea, but having been replaced by Benoit Badiashile, supporters are concerned about the England international.
While it was not a substitution that had a lasting impact on the game, Maresca will not have wanted to take off his captain at just 1-0 up, especially when the Clarets were pushing for an equaliser.
Joao Pedro
Chelsea fans were furious with Joao Pedro, and understandably so, and he was one of the biggest strugglers during the win at Turf Moor, making more problems than he solved.
With Delap playing as a centre-forward, the Brazilian appeared lost in the centre of the pitch, not getting involved in the play, but also not making runs in behind the defence.
Maresca will need to address how these two players work together on the pitch now that they’re both fit, but if it continues like this, the duo may have to take turns to start for Chelsea.