Mauricio Pochettino can draw valuable lessons from Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace in a tabloid-style format. The match witnessed a thrilling comeback by Chelsea after a lackluster first half. Despite dominating possession with almost 80 percent, Chelsea failed to produce a single shot until stoppage time in the initial period. This was a disappointing performance, especially when compared to their impressive display in the FA Cup against Aston Villa the previous week.
The visitors’ subpar performance in the first half allowed Jefferson Lerma to capitalize on their mistakes and score a stunning 20-yard goal, giving Palace a well-deserved lead in the 30th minute. However, Chelsea’s fortunes changed dramatically after the break. Conor Gallagher’s equalizer and his crucial partnership with Enzo Fernandez led to a late turnaround.
During the first half, Cole Palmer struggled to make an impact as the primary striker, Conor Gallagher’s performance was underwhelming, Nicolas Jackson failed to shine, and Noni Madueke’s error resulted in Lerma’s goal. Pochettino made a halftime substitution, replacing Madueke with Christopher Nkunku. It may be time for Pochettino to reconsider Palmer’s suitability as the main striker and contemplate dropping Madueke from the team due to his costly mistake.
Chelsea’s second-half performance was remarkable, with Gallagher converting Malo Gusto’s cross and Palmer adding to the scoreline with a goal in the 51st minute. In just six minutes, Chelsea had more attempts on goal than they did in the entire first half. Gallagher once again played a pivotal role by scoring from Palmer’s pass, and Enzo Fernandez sealed the victory with a composed finish.
Chelsea’s consecutive 3-1 victories in their last two matches provide them with momentum heading into their upcoming game against Manchester City. They will then face Liverpool at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.
According to the Source caughtoffside.com