Chelsea are back in the top four thanks to an ugly but hard fought win over relegation strugglers Leicester City. Here are 4 things we learned from the match.
Cole Palmer needs a reset and can’t always save the day
The well documented drought that Cole Palmer is in is going to be extended by at least one more match after Chelsea's star player struggled against Leicester City there was a moment early in the match after Jadon Sancho was brought down in the Leicester box where we all thought things would turn around for Palmer.
The Chelsea midfielder had been perfect so far on penalties in his Premier League career, scoring 10 out of 10 since joining the Blues. However after some shenanigans by the Leicester keeper, Palmer saw his tame effort saved and his drought continued. There was chatter on social media even before he took the kick that things did not seem quite right for the young star and the result matched the vibe.
Now that Palmer has missed even where he has literally never missed before in the Premier League, it’s clear more than ever that he needs a break and a reset. The Blues have leaned so heavily on him this season that there is some breakage happening in his psyche and confidence and it needs to be rebuilt.
Ideally Chelsea could have sewn up the tie with Copenhagen in the first leg so Palmer could sit out the second but he is so good and so vital that he is undroppable. But perhaps Enzo Maresca looks at what happened today as a sign that he needs a break before throwing him back into the fire against Arsenal next weekend.