Chelsea player ratings vs Fulham: Three 4/10s as Palmer breaks record | Football | Sport
Chelsea paid the price for their profloigacy as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Fulham to lose the west London derby on Boxing Day.
A stunning solo goal from Cole Palmer put the Blues in control as he broke the record for most goals scored in a calendar year for Chelsea (26). And Enzo Maresca‘s men played some scintilating football throughout the half without adding to their advantage.
Levi Colwill saw his goal chalked off for offside early in the second half and that gave Fulham some hope as they pressed forward, as Harry Wilson produced the goods with a close-range header to equalise.
The Blues paid the price for squandering some gilt-edged chances as substitute Rodrigo Muniz stunned the home crowd with a stoppage-time winner to earn Fulham their first win on Chelsea turf since 1979.
Express Sport analyses the hosts’ performance with player ratings from Stamford Bridge.
Robert Sanchez 6
After making a couple of smart stops in the first half, the Spaniard made a fine save by smothering Robinson’s effort in the second half. Could do nothing to stop the goal, although his part in gifting the second was evident.
Malo Gusto 4
The Frenchman didn’t do anything too out of shape, although Fulham were encouraged to attack down the left by the amount of space gifted to Robinson and Iwobi, and Gusto’s lack of aggression in going to close down the ball contributed to that. Caught completely unaware when Wilson headed home.
Tosin Adarabioyo 4
Facing his former club six months after leaving on a free transfer, the towering centre-back was bypassed by Fulham’s quick runners on a few occasions and had a few uncomfortable moments. Oblivious when it came to Wilson’s whereabouts for the equaliser.
Levi Colwill 4
Credited with an assist for the Palmer solo goal, the defender was solid at the back too and won some vital duels. Also had a goal ruled out for offside. Some slack positioning for the late goals and questions must be asked about where he was for the Muniz winner.
Marc Cucurella 5
Completely unmarked from a delicious Palmer delivery, the Spaniard could and should have made it 2-0, which would’ve been his third game in a row finding the net. That quick burst into the box exemplified his all-action display and the Spaniard continues to impress in his role as Maresca’s utility man, although he neglected his defensive duties once too often.
Moises Caicedo 6
At what point do we start the campaign for Caicedo being one of the best midfielders in the league? His anticipation and intercepting was exceptional, reading the danger posed by Fulham and patrolling the backline like an Area 51 guard.
Enzo Fernandez 7
A real pleasure to watch in this form, Fernandez pulled the strings and produced some luxurious long-range passes. Very unfortunate not to score from 20 yards out after a fingertip Bernd Leno save and couldn’t be faulted for his team’s late collapse.
The Portuguese cannot be faulted for his defensive effort and it was needed too, given Antonee Robinson’s relentless running down the left side. In the final third, however, his end product was somewhat disappointing. Booked.
Maresca might have unwrapped his Christmas gifts yesterday, but the Italian has got everything he needs with Palmer. The first 20 minutes from him was as good as there’s been from any player this season, and he capped it with a storming solo run, beating three players before nonchalantly slotting into the corner. His second-half display was a little underwhelming, though, and his influence dwindled.
Jadon Sancho 5
Probably the quietest player on the pitch in the first half, the winger has to do more to stay involved in the game because his flashes of brilliance aren’t quite enough. That said, he did improve after the interval with some nice touches.
Nicolas Jackson 6
Led the frontline with some clever touches and intelligent hold-up play, and at one stage nearly copied Palmer’s goal but lacked the finish. If there is one criticism for the Senegalese to mull over, it was his lack of urgency to shoot when inside the box.
Substitutes
Christopher Nkunku (on 73′) 6
Chased one decent opportunity through the middle and was unlucky to be denied by Leno late on.
Not used: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Disasi, Acheampong, George, Felix, Casadei, Guiu
