Chelsea got back to winning ways with a fairly comfortable win over David Moyes’ in-form Everton side on Saturday (December 13), closing the gap on third placed Aston Villa to just two points… for now.
The main man himself, Cole Palmer opened the scoring with his first goal since Chelsea’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich back in September, finishing at the near post thanks to a perfectly weighted pass from Malo Gusto.
Gusto then got in on the act himself, scoring his second goal of not only the season, but his entire professional career with a close-range effort. As Chelsea secured a morale boosting win, here are three things we learned.
Chelsea NEED Cole Palmer
Enzo Maresca’s side have done OK without their star man, but if today proved anything, it’s that Chelsea are a much better and cohesive team with Palmer starting in the number ten and running the show.
We’re hesitant to say that Palmer is back to his best, he himself said as much after the game, and as he continues to work his way back to 100% fitness, there were moments we could tell he wasn’t quite there.
Still, Palmer came good when Chelsea needed him before being substituted in the 58th minute, ending his game having created two chances, completed 23 of his 29 passes, and, of course, scoring his goal.
If Chelsea want to be competing at the right end of the table this season, with plenty of games still to play, the NEED Palmer to be running the show.
Everton still without a top striker
One could argue that the last top level striker Everton had on their books was Romelu Lukaku before he left to join Man United. Thierno Barry was signed this summer for a reported £27 million, but it was another poor showing from the Frenchman.
He’s scored just one goal in his 16 Premier League games, and he ended the game against Chelsea having had zero shots, completed just two passes, and had one touch in the opposition box.
The most frustrating thing for Everton fans must be that they have some fantastic players just behind the number nine. Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Illiman Ndaiye are all supremely creative, if only they had someone who could put their chances away.
Enzo Maresca deserves some credit
Speaking after the game, Maresca said that the previous 48 hours have been the “worst” he’s experience since becoming Chelsea manager, due to the lack of support. He didn’t specify whether it was internal or from the fans, however.
Yes, Chelsea were going through a rough patch of form before this game, but two weeks ago many were suggesting they could be genuine title contenders, and Maresca has done a good job despite all the noise that constantly surrounds the club.
Two major(ish) trophies last season need to be remembered by those that doubt him. Chelsea have the youngest side in the Premier League and are still finding themselves in many ways. He deserves more credit than he’s been getting recently.