Negatives - Continued
Cole Palmer’s Ineffectiveness
Since mid-December, Chelsea’s form has been dreadful due to Enzo Maresca’s flawed tactics. However, one shining light amidst the chaos had been Cole Palmer, who consistently created chances and attempted to make a difference. But on Friday, Palmer created zero chances, and Chelsea as a whole failed to register a shot on target.
Time and time again, fans could see Palmer growing frustrated with his teammates for failing to pick him out in space. Even when there were clear passing lanes or opportunities to drive through the middle, Chelsea opted to play sideways. And when Palmer did receive the ball, he failed to make an impact.
Questionable Refereeing Once Again
It is cruel on a team when refereeing decisions go unfairly against them, especially when they are already struggling. After Brighton took the lead, Enzo Fernandez headed the ball into Brighton’s net, but the goal was ruled out for a very soft push on Joel Veltman.
VAR did not even take much time to check it. In the buildup to Brighton’s second goal, Danny Welbeck was clearly in an offside position. However, the incident was shown just once on TV replays, and no VAR check was conducted. It is ridiculous how such unfair decisions against Chelsea are consistently ignored.
Spot Among Top Four Could Be Lost for Good
Depending on other results, Chelsea could be out of the top four by the end of this game week. With a tough run of fixtures ahead, regaining that spot will be extremely difficult. Maresca’s tactics are getting worse by the day, and there is no sign of improvement. To make matters worse, injuries are piling up. At this rate, even Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League campaign could be over as soon as they play their next match.