Palmer is stuck in a rut
Chelsea's Hammering or Southampton offered the perfect platform for some of Enzo Marescas under -performing stars to rediscover their self -confidence. But that was not the case for Cole Palmer.
The 22-year-old did not succeed in scoring a goal for seven games. Even his creativity has dried up. It has been a 14-game stretch without an assist for the Talisman of Chelsea.
For the first time in his professional career, Palmer is in a rut. And he doesn't know how to get out yet.
The underlying figures from Palmer on the way to this game suggested that the problem was not only with him. No player in the competition had created just as many opportunities as he preceded this in the 13 games that precede this.
The Tuesday evening's game, however, revealed a player who is inadequate in confidence. Easy to forget, being just a few moments for the first two goals of Chelsea, but Palmer had rejected two striking opportunities.
Aaron Ramsdale stopped the first, but half of the goal was gaping for Palmer to score. Then he seemed to be shooting and passing in two spirits when he played the right side.
Palmer has more than enough credit in the couch to get this run up. It is the first dip in a glittering first 18 months in senior football as a normal starter in which he hardly set a foot wrong.
Maresca does not doubt that this moment will happen soon. “All major players go through bad moments when they struggle to score,” said the Chelsea boss after the game.
“Cole is currently struggling to score or struggles with the right one, but he is happy. He knows that this is something normal.
“It's happiness because Cole had time in a big club with big players and knows that players are going through such moments. He responds perfectly, he laughs. He has to enjoy football.”
But more difficult tests are for Chelsea and they need their star man to find his way out of this gap if they are serious contenders for Champions League qualification. Zinny Boswell
Get rid of the season of Villa
Aston Villa has a favorable Last-16-equal game for the Champions League against Club Brugge to look forward to next month. On this proof they must enjoy their participation in the competition as long as it takes.
Their chances of qualifying for it achieved a huge hit with their 4-1 defeat against Crystal Palace, a result that leaves them 10th and emphasizes, their struggles away from Villa Park. They are now seven losses of their last nine Premier League matches. Their record on the road is the sixth-stringest in the division this season.
It is not sustainable for a side with real ambitions of Champions League qualification to trust their home form so strongly, but there is little evidence that the situation improves.
In fact, this was probably their worst defeat. Palace repeatedly tore through it. She did not flatter the Scoreline. Morgan Rogers took his goal brilliant to look at Thomas Tuchel, but that was the only positive on a gloomy night that also sustained a potential injury to goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
Unai Emery must quickly find a solution for their struggles on the road, given their next two Premier League matches take place in the Gtech Community Stadium of Brentford and the Amex of Brighton. There is also the small issue of that trip to Bruges to contend. At the moment they are in danger of ruining their campaign. Nick Wright
Wharton stars like Tuchel looks up
With the English boss Thomas Tuchel on, it was a bit of perfect timing for Adam Wharton to make a long -awaited return to the Crystal Palace that starts eleven.
It was also a display, the 21-year-old slot seamlessly back in the midfield of the palace, with one hand in three of the palace goals, while he also made more third-thirds than any other palace player with 14.
Oliver Glasner said after the game that it was a rusty start for the midfielder, who would acclimatize after a four -month resignation.
“He played excellent,” said Glasner.
'When you see the second goal, with his pass for Ebereechi Eze. This is his quality, his pre-orientation. It is also one of our habits, which wins the ball at the half right, to the half left and you have one or two details, and he has the quality to find the player, he has the quality to pass the right one way.
Wharton was the forgotten man as an unused member of Gareth Southgate's 26-man euro team last summer, but he gave Tuchel a performance to remember as Palace Aston Villa on the Zwaard. William Bitibiri
MINTEH THE FRIGHT HELL SAIN THE TONE FOR BRIGHTON
Brighton is perhaps just something special between now and the end of the campaign based on their fantastic front four that now fluctuate and roll. Georgino Rutter blinded in the bag and Homt occasionally with Joao Pedro to devastating effect. There is a wavelength there that makes Brighton such a dangerous team.
Kaoru Mitoma also offers such quality wide, but it was the performance of Yankuba Minth without the ball that attracted attention. He was phenomenally out of possession in terms of working speed and to ensure that Tariq Lamptey was not flooded by Antoine Semenyo.
Minteh made an incredible seven tackles in the game – most player. Not bad for someone who is supposed to play as a winger. His enthusiasm to use in the tone for Brighton to register a huge three points. Lewis Jones
Sessegnon reminds everyone where he is still a force to take into account
Ryan Sessegnon has had to be extraordinarily patient. His previous Premier League start came for Tottenham in a 2-0 defeat against Arsenal more than two years ago. Fifty -eight seconds in his next start in the competition, he had his big moment and scored the opener.
Fulham fans know what their former boys' wonder is able to deliver, that precise finish in the far corner typical for so much that he scored in the past, the catalyst behind their promotion in 2018 when he was the championship player of the year.
“A player who starts at the age of 16 at a high level, I think we all acknowledge ourselves here and probably everyone who loves football in this country at the time that he would have a great career because he was a top, top talent Was, “said Fulham boss Marco Silva in Molineux.
But then the injuries, many of them, and the strange career also came to miss. Now 24, he is back in Craven Cottage and rebuilt. He finally offered the opportunity to start after encouraging drawing in the cup matches, he showed that he can still be a force.
“You have to keep it healthy,” Silva added. “He must have faith again, again at the rhythm, the intensity and demands of the Premier League because the other things he has.”
A goal in a third consecutive win will help Sessegnon a lot.
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