“Cole Palmer disappeared” – Former Chelsea defender criticises individual attackers as Blues disappoint | OneFootball

Chelsea’s result against Crystal Palace on Sunday was disappointing, mainly because of the excitement that had built over the course of a very successful summer on and off the pitch.

On ESPN they debated how much of a let down it had actually been – were Chelsea that bad, or were Palace just very solid? Their conclusion was a mix of both, and you can probably guess which pundits came down on which side of the debate.

You can see their discussion of the game in the clip embedded here:

“I don’t remember either side creating any gilt-edged chances, it all came from ranged shots or crosses… it felt like the Chelsea we criticised so many times last season, where they just don’t offer anything going forward, it was all horizontal.” said Craig Burley.

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf pointed to the opposition’s defensive strength (they’re unbeaten in ten games in all competitions) but also criticised some of the Blues’ attackers for their efforts individually:

“Joao Pedro came into the club with easy peasy Club World Cup and friendly games scoring goals – today I didn’t see him. I saw Jamie Gittens playing for 55 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen, looking world class, looking fast – today, nothing. Cole Palmer disappeared.”

Undercooked Chelsea defended by pundit

Pedro Neto frustrated by a missed chance. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Nedum Onuoha stepped up to defend the Blues from the bulk of the criticism they were getting:

“Playing against a team like Palace who we’ve seen be really good in the last few games they’ve played… I’d give Chelsea a pass… for Maresca they’ve only had two preseason games… they will round into form.”

That’s a pretty balanced take, and we hope it proves to be correct.

How do you feel about the Blues’ first performance of the season?