The main talking points from Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge as the Blues continue to look for their first home win of the league season... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
It almost felt fitting that 48 hours after Chelsea spent the whole of transfer deadline day trying to sign Victor Osimhen, it was their finishing that let them down against Crystal Palace.
The first-half was excellent. There was control, there were opportunities, there was aggression and there were virtually no chances for the visiting Eagles at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea boasted 58 per cent of possession when the half-time whistle blew. It was proper Enzo Maresca ball.
The control was there, the patience was there and the Blues were pushing and pushing to add to their one goal. Ironically, that opening goal came from a counter-attack; a swift transition that Maresca admitted after the game suited Palace more than his side. It all started with Levi Colwill, who played a fabulous game up against the dangerous and scarily strong Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Colwill won the ball back and set Noni Madueke away. The in-form Chelsea winger then bombed down the right-hand side before finding Cole Palmer, who made the run beyond, and the England international squared the ball to Nicolas Jackson in the six-yard box.
It was a really, really nice goal from a Blues perspective but a passage one would not usually associate with Maresca. The rest of the half, though, saw Chelsea keep the ball well – and, crucially, in meaningful and dangerous areas. They were disappointed not to be more than one goal up as they headed back down the tunnel at a scorching hot Stamford Bridge.
Oliver Glasner then shuffled his pack. And he got it spot on. Palace started the second-half in the ascendancy and made their pressure count when the fantastic Eberechi Eze curled one in from the edge of the box.
From then on, Palace knew – more or less – how to cope with Chelsea’s midfielders and attackers. Enzo Fernandez shone in the first-half but the visitors did a fine job of cutting off the Argentine’s supply line in the second period – that in turn hampered Chelsea. But chances were still created…
A fitting Osimhen moment
Chelsea were trying hard for Osimhen in the final few days of the summer transfer window. Blues officials spent deadline day in Naples trying to negotiate a deal with Napoli and terms with the Nigeria international.
However, a deal was unable to be done. football.london was told throughout the window that Chelsea would only be able to strike a deal to sign Osimhen should the striker agree to lower his wage demands. Finding a compromise was not possible in the end.
Nicolas Jackson, though, sent out a statement early on in the game. A question, almost, asking: ‘Victor who?’, when the Senegal international opened the scoring on 25 minutes for his second of the season.
News broke before the game that Jackson had signed a two-year extension on his Chelsea contract to keep him at the club until 2033. “I’m very happy [Jackson has extended his deal],” Maresca said post-match.
“Nicolas is doing a fantastic job with us, on and off the ball, he scored already two goals [this season]. He scored again today. He had another two chances but we are happy with him.”
Those two chances Maresca referred to were absolute golden ones for Chelsea. They both fell in stoppage time, with the match at 1-1. The first, he has plenty of space on the right-hand side of the box, and perhaps should have gone low and hard across Dean Henderson but he instead tried to catch him out at the near post – hitting up the side-netting.
The second came moments later. Jackson actually did really well to get in the position; showing speed, power and strength – three attributes he has in abundance. But he lacked composure in front of goal on his left foot, with Henderson – to be fair, doing well – rushing out and saving with his feet.
There is no guarantee Osimhen would have scored those chances if he was there instead of Jackson. None at all. But while Jackson shows plenty of promise, this was not the first time he was guilty of missing a couple of huge opportunities in front of goal for Chelsea.
This, though, is in no means slating Jackson – far from it, in fact. He has had a brilliant year or so for Chelsea if everything is considered with context. But not having another option for a No.9, someone like Osimhen or even Ivan Toney, feels like a bit of an opportunity missed in the summer transfer window for the west Londoners.
Colwill in form now
One of the contenders for Man of the Match was Colwill. The England international was imperious against Palace on Sunday afternoon. He seemed to relish the physical battle against Mateta at Stamford Bridge.
Colwill won said battle, too – something not too many defenders can say recently with Mateta being in fine form since Glasner took over from Roy Hodgson in February. Last season, we did not see Colwill at centre-back many times at all. Instead, Mauricio Pochettino used the Cobham graduate on the left-hand side of a back four.
Chelsea supporters were crying out for Colwill to be used in a more central role and under Maresca, they finally had their wish granted. It has been Colwill alongside Wesley Fofana in the opening three Premier League matches of the season. And while the Blues are yet to keep a clean sheet, there have been more than enough signs that this could be the centre-back duo for many years to come.
Someone so comfortable, composed and skilled on the ball as Colwill looks like he was put on this earth to play football under Maresca. But we all knew he could do that. It is his defensive work – especially in the last two matches – that has really caught the eye of many.
