Chelsea Complete the Comeback: Title Contenders?

December 8th, 2024

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What Enzo Maresca has done for the Blues these past few weeks has been brilliant. After a subpar showing last season, Maresca's creativity and confidence in his players are breaths of fresh air. I had nothing particular planned this morning so tuned into Chelsea's match against Tottenham. Coming into the game, Chelsea was in 2nd place, tucked right behind Arne Slot's Liverpool. We've faced some tough competition in the Premier League but Spurs would be a huge test to see if the momentum we have going can continue. And Chelsea did not disappoint. Chelsea 4, Tottenham 3. Getting back up from conceding two early goals is not easy but something seemed to click in the second half. Again, that's the thing with Maresca: he's not afraid to admit his errors, make quick changes, and completely turn the game around. Now, does this mean we're in the title race? I think it's somewhat fair to have that conversation but it's still too early to tell. 

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Here are just a few things I noticed today: 

• Moisés Caicedo: To be honest, I was a skeptic of the Ecuadorian last season. He seemed uncomfortable in midfield, often gave the ball away with sloppy touches, and couldn't find the feet of our attackers. Maresca's been playing Caicedo in more defensive roles, and he gave us a top performance today against Tottenham. He's fantastic at pressing the ball and can rely on his midfield experiences to get the ball moving up the field alongside Roméo Lavia who has also been so important to us. As a bonus, Caicedo won a decisive penalty to seal the game. 

• Marc Cucurella: I have a love-hate relationship with this guy. He can tear apart the wings and dominate counter-attacks but can also be shaky at the back. We saw more of the shaky side this morning. He slips twice in the first 15 minutes which led to both of Tottenham's early goals. But I respect Maresca's decision to keep him in the game and was glad to see that the Spaniard could mentally reset. He did get an assist to a goal but to be fair, Sancho did all the hard work. If Cucurella can show us a little more consistency in these high-stakes moments, he could be a key puzzle piece moving forward.

• Malo Gusto: Gusto is one of the most underrated, under-appreciated defenders out there. The Frenchman came on for Lavia at half-time and gave Caicedo the freedom to push up to midfield. He was aggressive as soon as the second half started and looked like one of the desperately hungry players that wanted this comeback to happen. Quick on his feet, has great vision, and loves to switch the field. Always a pleasure to have him on my Fantasy team.

• Cole Palmer: A phenomenal player. Not much else to say. He was ice cold from the penalty spot and closed out the game with his cheeky Panenka. Enzo Fernández loves to feed off of Palmer's energy and those two share something special in the midfield. 

• Robert Sánchez: Another player that I think needs just a bit more consistency. Fans wanted our backup Filip Jörgensen to start our Premier League games after a man-of-the-match performance against FC Heidenheim and a masterclass against Southhampton earlier this week. I'm not sure if I necessarily agree but Jörgensen does seem to have more composure when distributing balls to our channels. There were multiple times today (and in previous games) where Sánchez crumbled under pressure and turned over the ball. I also think Sánchez could've saved some of the earlier goals in the game but it's unfair to blame them entirely on the goalkeeper. Building from the back is so important against teams like Tottenham and we need someone in goal that can take care of that especially as we play more aggressive, high-pressing teams. ​

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That's it for now but a great way to start off my Sunday. Up the Chels! 

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