Chelsea salvaged a last-gasp draw against Bournemouth but will be disappointed to have ceded more territory as Enzo Maresca’s winless run in the Premier League stretches to five fixtures.
There’s no question that the Italian tactician has surpassed expectations with his start to life in west London, but Chelsea need to rally after another setback.
The Cherries showed great fight, but dominant Chelsea should have put the game to bed. While it’s disappointing, Reece James proved to be a bright shining light as he restored parity in the dying embers.
Reece James is back
James fired true as he breached Mark Travers’s line, roaring to the Stamford Bridge crowd as he reminds English football of his elite quality after injury plight.
Replacing Romeo Lavia before the hour mark, showed flashes of quality with some slick passing and energy but he looked rusty defensively as he continues to build his fitness levels.
But make no mistake, James is one of the best players in the Premier League when at the top of his game and if he can stay match-ready, the Blues will be back to winning ways in no time.
Minutes played
34′
Goals
1
Assists
0
Touches
35
Shots (on target)
1 (1)
Pass completion
23/27 (87%)
Key passes
1
Dribbles (completed)
0 (0)
Duels (won)
6 (3)
However, not everyone caught the eye – not for the right reasons, anyway.
Moises Caicedo played his worst game of 24/25
Moises Caicedo has been brilliant this season, a pillar of strength in central midfield. However, he’s played in an inverted right-back role to accommodate Lavia and he struggled with the pace of trickery of Antoine Semenyo, foiled by a winger once again.
He was hastily shuffled back into the centre as James entered the pitch, and started to look like his normal self but this serves as another reminder to Maresca that the Ecuadorian is not the solution in the makeshift role, something that James’ return will hopefully put right.
But he will be frustrated all the same, with the Daily Express branding the 23-year-old with a 4/10 match rating after he clumsily gave away the penalty that Justin Kluivert dispatched shortly after the interval.
Maresca will think twice about reprising Caicedo’s place on the teamsheet. It’s clear that opponents will seek to capitalise on his inexperience in the role.
And anyway, when he plays so well as the all-influencing midfield engine, his coach will surely recognise that this isn’t the solution. Unfortunately, Caicedo might have suffered his worst display of the campaign, but that’s really a marker of his immense efforts.
Correspondent Felix Johnston called Caicedo out for his “reckless” challenge on Semenyo, bundling him to the ground. It’s clear that James’ fitness is imperative to the lasting success of the west London outfit, creating the balance and fluency to keep an outside chance of closing down first-placed Liverpool.
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