Chelsea's gullibility against Fulham, a formidable team, may cause Behdad Eghbali to reconsider the necessity of January acquisitions.
Cole Palmer is also amazing. Cole Palmer is now so skilled at football that he doesn't need to aim. For the home crowd at Stamford Bridge, as well as perhaps a sizable percentage of the away supporters and everyone watching at home, he elevated his already pleasant level of nonchalance to new heights in a Boxing Day treat.If the Premier League has produced robotic football players with the goal of winning, frequently at the expense of entertainment value, Palmer is the remedy for that toxic post-Barclays world.
He played a superfluous and therefore joyous one-two with Nicolas Jackson in a crowded penalty area before being denied again by Bernd Leno. He also saw a curled effort towards the far corner saved after a nutmeg on the edge of the box in the first half. Prior to those two displays of his unparalleled flair, he scored a fantastic goal that left friends, family, and fellow football fans with puffed cheeks, titters of surprise, and the instant grasping of devices to tell friends, family, and other football fans that they, too, must witness what Chelsea's wonder has just done: "Oh, Cole. That's disgusting."
The goal was passed into the corner through the defender's legs with just enough speed to prevent the goalkeeper from simply walking over and picking it up, but not quickly enough to prevent Leno from looking a little foolish as he nearly had to wait for the ball to roll past his outstretched fingers after diving for it. It was all very Ronaldinho: taking the ball on the half-turn with both nimble feet and glorious balance as he nipped past a couple of challenges. It nearly took a double take to make sure the goalscorer wasn't sporting flowing hair and the hint of buck teeth that Palmer shares with the Brazilian genius.
A few Premier League players could have scored after catching the ball in that pocket, but instead of rolling it home like Palmer did, they would have curled or blasted it into the corner. Anything less than that finish would have added needless complexity to a game that he makes look ridiculously easy. Marc Cucurella could have doubled Chelsea's lead, but instead he headed a fantastic free kick from Enzo Fernandez directly at Leno. The Fulham goalie then deflected a wonderful whipped effort from the edge of the area at the reinvigorated Argentinean.
However, Alex Iwobi constantly found space around Moises Caicedo to cause Chelsea more issues, while opposite number Robert Sanchez was as busy. The speed of Antonee Robinson and Adama Traore on the wings posed a serious threat that Chelsea was unable to stop throughout. Calvin Bassey's run, which we must refer to as Barrelling because he is a center-back yet showed the quickness of a little winger, almost brought Fulham even. Sanchez made a fantastic save on his shot, and the Blues goalie had to come out quickly to stop Robinson after Robinson had brought Traore's cross down at the back post.
However, the Blues goalie's inability to straighten his feet from a backpass to almost give Raul Jimenez a goal indicates that he is still a mercurial issue for Chelsea and Enzo Maresca. After Iwobi's excellent work, Robinson's cross found Timothy Castagne, who headed the ball back across goal for Harry Wilson to nudge in off the post. Fulham deserved their equalizer, and Chelsea never looked comfortable. A legitimate title contender would often push the opposition back at that point and require a backs-to-the-wall rearguard in order to hold onto a point, especially while playing at home against a team that hasn't won at Stamford Bridge since 1979. That did not occur.
Although Leno turned Nkunku's acrobatic effort round the post and Jadon Sancho had a good shot saved, Fulham looked just as likely to win all three points and scored in the 95th minute. Chelsea seemed taken aback by Fulham's boldness in even attempting to win.
This particular goal did little to refute Jamie Carragher's assertion that Maresca lacks a top-tier goalkeeper and center-back to pose a real threat for the championship. Behdad Eghbali and the Chelsea hierarchy, who believe that the players Maresca has at his disposal are sufficient, if not now then in the future, find it frustrating that even though the great majority of fans and commentators can see those weaknesses, it's not a hot take.
No Chelsea player advanced past a trot after Sanchez rushed from his goal and kicked the ball into a swarm of Fulham players. Rodrigo Muniz then controlled and converted superbly.
Before Tosin Adarabioyo neither rushed the ball nor marked either of the two Fulham players in the box, he was 10 yards deeper than teammate center-back Levi Colwill, who was defeated by a single, easy pass in behind him for Saka Lukic, who was excellent the entire time.
Had Sanchez simply passed the ball square for Tosin instead of booting it long, none of this would have occurred. However, considering what the center-backs did—or failed to do—after that bloody head injury, they bear equal responsibility for the loss.
Even though Chelsea showed their inexperience in crucial situations and struggled to control the game, Fulham's skill was more of a factor in this outcome than the home team's inexperience. His squad, now in eighth place and tied with Manchester City, is firmly in the running for European football because to Marco Silva's outstanding play.
With Maresca's need for a top goalkeeper and a center-back evident to everyone but those with the authority to make such acquisitions, it seems more possible that they will play in the Europa Conference League next season than Chelsea will win the championship.
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