Chelsea missed the chance to climb above Arsenal in the Premier League table on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
In a game which will not live long in the memory of neutrals, Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Moises Caicedo’s stunning strike earned Chelsea a fair share of the spoils.
Here are four lessons Chelsea can learn from the game.
Enzo Maresca’s latest tactical tweak has been deploying Reece James at left-back and giving Malo Gusto the freedom to invert into midfield from right-back. Considering the club captain’s natural quality on the ball, it’s a move which has raised a handful of eyebrows, to say the least.
The shortcomings of this setup were made abundantly clear here as Gusto endured an incredibly difficult outing. He failed to offer any sort of spark in midfield and even hindered Chelsea‘s progress at times, so it came as little surprise to see him hooked at the break.
Marc Cucurella’s removal from the starting lineup has come as somewhat of a surprise in recent weeks, but he might find himself back in the team after this one.
In a game which was hardly full of quality, Caicedo oozed sheer class – as has come to be expected from the Ecuadorian these days.
While his equaliser was incredible, it was just one moment in a tremendous display that deserved more than the one point it yielded.
Rival fans have latched on to a negative narrative around Caicedo which was drummed up shortly after his move to Stamford Bridge, but those who have actually watched him will recognise that not only is such criticism unwarranted, but it’s downright comical at times.
Fans have been trying to start a conversation about Robert Sanchez for a while now, and we’re approaching a point at which Maresca may have to listen.
Few have questioned Sanchez’s ability to save shots, but it’s the rest of his game that divides opinion. Here, a rash decision to dive at the feet of Rasmus Hojlund handed United a penalty which felt utterly avoidable.
Filip Jorgensen has had a mixed run of things in the Conference League, which is likely still working in Sanchez’s favour, but there’s only so much Maresca will be able to take.
Look, this wasn’t a vintage performance from either side, but the fact that Chelsea fans have been left frustrated by this draw should be seen as a positive sign for the future.
Chelsea absolutely can win these games. Had it not been for Wesley Fofana mis-reading a pass and Sanchez going to ground without reason, the Blues would have taken three points here. Yet again, they were their own worst enemies.
If Maresca can find the minor changes needed to eradicate that error streak and instil a little more confidence across the pitch, Chelsea will win these battles in the future.
