It is truthful to say Chelsea are underperforming in Enzo Maresca’s system in the meanwhile, however having reached the Convention League semi-finals whereas sitting contained in the Premier League’s prime qualification zone, it is all to battle for over the enterprise weeks of the marketing campaign.
Ending inside the highest 5 ought to present a route into subsequent 12 months’s Champions League, and with the Blues sat in seventh place, 4 factors behind Manchester Metropolis, it is essential that Fulham are crushed at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The issue, in fact, is that Chelsea have not received any of their previous 9 home matches on the street, with the Cottagers shedding solely 4 of their 16 matches at dwelling within the prime flight this time period.
Chelsea – Remaining Premier League Fixtures | ||
|---|---|---|
Date | Opponent | League Place |
20/04/25 | Fulham (A) | ninth |
04/05/25 | Liverpool (H) | 1st |
11/05/25 | Newcastle (A) | third |
16/05/25 | Man United (H) | 14th |
25/05/25 | Nott’m Forest (H) | 4th |
Maresca fielded a surprisingly robust line-up in opposition to Legia Warsaw on Thursday, shedding 2-1 on the night however prevailing on combination.
It will not be straightforward, however the Blues merely must see themselves over the road on this one.
Chelsea crew information
Maresca confirmed throughout his pre-match press convention that Romeo Lavia is on the market for choice after getting back from harm and must be concerned.
Wesley Fofana, Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman stay long-term absentees, whereas Mykhaylo Mudryk remains to be unavailable.
Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke have been benched for the quarter-final tie, however Jadon Sancho did choose up an help for Marc Cucurella’s purpose and should fancy one other shot on the vast flank in opposition to a secure Fulham defence.
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have been each excluded from the matchday squad on Thursday forward of this weekend’s fixture, and with each prepared and raring, Maresca might wish to make a daring transfer and drop Cole Palmer for the second time in 4 Premier League matches.
Why Maresca may drop Palmer
It has been 15 matches throughout all competitions since Palmer final discovered the again of the online. Unquestionably, he is certainly one of Europe’s superlative attacking midfielders, however equally, he is nicely beneath his greatest in the meanwhile.
Final season, the 22-year-old was untouchable, matchless in his breezy, Midas contact type in entrance of purpose. Now, he cuts a annoyed determine as possibilities go begging and fluency seems to be absent.
The solar will shine once more on the England worldwide, who Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Carragher declared “the very best participant within the Premier League” again in October, having began the time period with such panache. Nonetheless, he is obtained 14 objectives and 9 assists throughout 31 appearances, hardly a tally to be sniffed at.
Palmer has maintained a powerful inventive stage within the Premier League, nonetheless showcasing these arresting attributes which have earned him such lofty acclaim.
As per Sofascore, the rangy midfielder averages 2.5 key passes per league sport (greater than final 12 months’s 2.1 averages per sport), profitable 56% of his floor duels and creating 20 huge possibilities moreover.
Nevertheless, there’s one other playmaking gem who could possibly be unleashed in a recent function later at this time. With Lavia combining so nicely with Caicedo within the early knockings of the season, Maresca might nicely look to shake issues up right here.
How Maresca may exchange Palmer
It may do Palmer some good to sit in opposition to Marco Silva’s Fulham, fuelling him to make a optimistic impression when launched within the second half.
Chelsea do not have an abundance of central attacking midfielders, and whereas Neto may play the function nicely off Jackson’s again, it is Fernandez who must be allowed to shift forwards into Palmer’s realm.
Fernandez has been by the feelings since turning into English soccer’s costliest participant of all time in February 2023, leaving Benfica in a deal value £107m. He was considered a “celebrity” by journalist Roy Nemer, and is starting to show such reward regardless of his crew’s struggles.
The 24-year-old has come on leaps and bounds together with his timing and motion within the hazard space, bounding into house and utilizing his toes or head to fireside dwelling.
Principally from a deeper-lying function, that is fairly spectacular, particularly when doubling that with the truth that he is one of many Premier League’s most inventive gamers proper now.
So as to add context to this: throughout March, no participant throughout England’s prime division created extra huge possibilities than Fernandez’s eight, the Argentine thriving in his influential central berth.
As per FBref, the 5 foot 10 midfielder ranks among the many prime 14% of midfielders within the Premier League this season for purpose involvements, the highest 8% for shot-creating actions, the highest 13% for passes tried and the highest 11% for progressive passes per 90.
Clearly, he has the properties to play a extra superior function, and Maresca’s not afraid to present him a shot. 4 occasions already in 2024/25, Fernandez has featured because the quantity ten, scoring one purpose and registering one help.
He isn’t one to shirk away from defensive duties both, profitable 4.4 duels and recovering 4.3 balls per sport to this point. Fielding him forward of Caicedo and Lavia would possibly compact Chelsea’s midfield whereas retaining the playmaking spark that Palmer gives with such aplomb, even when issues aren’t going his approach.
It bears testomony to Chelsea’s energy in depth that such a state of affairs is even a risk, and it would simply be one which Maresca needs to implement to maintain his gamers on their toes and take Palmer out of the firing line.
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