Chelsea continued their poor form in December, suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League.
It was very much a game of two halves, with Enzo Maresca’s side dominating the first 45 minutes but struggling in the second, as the Blues slipped to defeat at Stamford Bridge.
A first-half goal from Joao Pedro gave the West Londoners a lead at halftime. He deflected Reece James’ corner in from close range to put the Blues ahead.
Yet, second-half substitute Ollie Watkins, afforded plenty of space in an open game, scored twice to secure the three points for Villa.
Maresca’s men were certainly the better side in the first half, as the stats suggest. Villa sat off the Blues, allowing them the lion’s share of possession, with 71%, and ten shots. On reflection, Chelsea might be kicking themselves that they didn’t capitalise.
That is because, in the second 45 minutes, they could only manage four shots at Emi Martinez’s goal. The visitors took their chances better than Chelsea, which cost the London outfit three points.
It was a tough day at the office for the Blues, with Alejandro Garnacho among those struggling in attack.
Chelsea's misfiring forwards vs Villa
Summer signing Garnacho has certainly been hit and miss for the Blues since moving from Manchester United. On Saturday evening at the Bridge, it was tough going up against Matty Cash, one of the Premier League’s most experienced right-backs.
Garnacho-2
As is often the case with the Argentine, he constantly looked to be a nuisance, driving at the Poland international.
However, it didn't come off for him on this occasion, and too often, the winger made the wrong decision at crucial moments in the final third.
One person who noticed the Chelsea number 49’s struggles was Richie Mills, journalist for Goal. He gave Garnacho a 5/10 rating at the end of the game and noted the fact that he 'needs to offer more end product'.
Garnacho-3
This was certainly reflected in his stats at the end of the game. The winger, who played 69 minutes, had 38 touches but lost the ball nine times, failed to complete any of his four crosses, and didn’t attempt a dribble.
As bad as Garnacho was against Villa, there was another attacker who was arguably worse.
Chelsea’s new Conor Gallagher
If it was a poor night for Garnacho, then it was an even more disappointing one for Pedro Neto. The Portugal international was largely anonymous against Unai Emery’s side, struggling to get into the game on the right wing.
Neto
Indeed, his numbers at full-time show just how tough of an evening it was for Neto.
He lost the ball a whopping 24 times, having had 67 touches, and failed to complete a single dribble or a single tackle.
Neto key stats vs. Villa
Stat
Touches
Number of times ball lost
Pass accuracy
Crosses completed
Duels won
Tackles won
Dribbles completed
Stats from Sofascore
It was arguably a surprise that he played the whole game, with Cole Palmer the man Maresca took off.
His efforts were rated 4/10 by Mills, who was critical of the winger, explaining that he was largely 'ineffectual' against the Villans.
Neto-1
Whilst Neto has done well this term, it does feel like there are moments in big games, such as this clash with Villa, where he is lacking that quality.
As far back as last season, Tony Cascarino said Chelsea fans only see “glimpses of how great he can be” for the club,
He could certainly be viewed as Maresca’s version of Conor Gallagher. The former Cobham graduate was a star man under Mauricio Pochettino, but was quickly deemed a sellable asset by the club when the Argentine was sacked at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.
That is similar to Neto in many ways. The winger is loved by Maresca, as shown by the fact that he was kept on the pitch when Palmer was taken off.
Yet, as Cascarino noted, there have only been flashes of brilliance, with all the ex-Wolves man's hard work and endeavour not always being rewarded with an end product.
After another poor performance, it will be fascinating to see if the Italian keeps his first-choice winger in the starting lineup, or turns to the likes of Estevao to add a new dimension to the side.
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