We kick off our Scout Notes from Sunday’s Gameweek 29 fixtures with the matches at the Emirates and Craven Cottage, including an update on the injury sustained by Cole Palmer (£10.9m).
PALMER INJURY LATEST
Cole Palmer missed out for Chelsea on Sunday, having picked up an injury in training.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the match, Enzo Maresca said:
“He’s not in the toilet, for sure! He had, as we know, last week some problems [with illness]. And unfortunately, yesterday he had a very small problem. We think, after the international break, he will be back with us.
“He had an injury yesterday during the session. It was a very light session. That’s why we think it is nothing important. But we wait and the feeling is he will be back after the next international break.” – Enzo Maresca on Cole Palmer
The Chelsea boss later said that Palmer is unlikely to join up with the England squad and that he has a scan on Monday for a ‘muscular’ injury.
“His injury was from yesterday’s session, it’s a muscular problem. He needs a scan, and it is planned for tomorrow [Monday] morning. I hope he can be back for our next game, but we need to wait for a scan.
“We don’t wish players injury, but probably in Cole’s case in this moment it will give him some rest, physically and mentally, it could be good.” – Enzo Maresca on Cole Palmer
Maresca also said Nicolas Jackson (£7.7m) and Noni Madueke (£6.0m) should be back after the international break, a welcome boost having laboured in attack throughout Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
MERINO WINNER
Arsenal won the battle of the false nines on Sunday, with Mikel Merino’s (£6.0m) first-half header proving to be the difference.
The stand-in striker popped up at the front post to help on Martin Odegaard’s (£8.2m) delivery, looping it into the far corner over Robert Sanchez (£4.5m).
Sanchez later palmed out another effort from Merino, too.
“Mikel really wants to do well. He has never played that position before but he is scoring goals. He is a really dangerous player in the box and he can help us. Really pleased, even physically it is a very different game to play as a nine.” – Mikel Arteta on Mikel Merino playing up front
The corner for Merino’s goal was delivered by Odegaard, who now has four assists in his last three matches against Chelsea. He created three chances at the Emirates on Sunday, the most of any player on the pitch.
Elsewhere, Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m) was welcomed back to the starting line-up for the first time since Gameweek 24, so Ethan Nwaneri (£4.6m) had to settle for a place on the bench, only playing the final 11 minutes.
Expect competition in the forward spots to ramp up further after the international break.
“He has a good chance, yes.” – Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka potentially returning after the international break
Another clean sheet ultimately secured the three points for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s men have now delivered four shut-outs in their last seven matches.
TOOTHLESS CHELSEA
In truth, however, both teams looked off it from an attacking perspective, showing that neither false nine system is sustainable.
Indeed. Arsenal’s expected goals (xG) was 0.77, Chelsea’s 0.35 – their lowest of the season.
Chelsea were particularly poor, with just eight touches in the opposition box.
Maresca continued with Pedro Neto (£6.3m) as his central striker, but it was Marc Cucurella (£5.2m) who carried the greater goal threat. In fact, the Blues’ only two shots on target came from the Spaniard on Sunday.
With Reece James (£4.8m) playing next to Moises Caicedo (£4.9m) in midfield, Enzo Fernandez (£4.7m) pushed on into a No 10 role, but Chelsea never really got going and weren’t able to fashion many opportunities.
“It’s a huge difference if you think of the three players with most goals for us are Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke. Not one of them was on the pitch today. For two of them, they have already been out a long time, so it is normal that offensively we struggle a little bit, even if – until today – we are the second or the third best attacking team in the league.” – Enzo Maresca
As for Sanchez, who has just regained his spot as first-choice ‘keeper, the error count was once again high.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are now winless in their last seven league matches on the road, losing each of the last four.
FULHAM BOOST EUROPEAN HOPES
Fulham are genuine contenders to qualify for Europe, having climbed into the top eight with victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Marco Silva’s substitutes handed Fulham the three points.
Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m), who made a real difference upon his introduction, and a great finish from Ryan Sessegnon (£4.1m) did the damage, but make no mistake, the defence deserves huge credit, too.
The Cottagers are a well-organised team defensively under Silva, ranking third for expected goals conceded (xGC) this season, and they largely limited Spurs’ attack to half-chances.
Fulham made just one change from their 2-1 loss at Brighton and Hove Albion, with Willian (£5.0m) making his first Premier League start since re-joining the club, as Silva switched to a four-man defence after playing a back-three in Gameweek 28.
And the Brazilian was one of the hosts star performers, curling a lovely effort wide of the post.
“When you have a player of that quality it doesn’t matter if he is 36 or not. He is a player of top quality. He needed time to match the intensity of the Premier League. But the way we play is a big help for him because we are able to take the best of him for us.” – Marco Silva on Willian
As for Tottenham, they made wholesale changes after their big effort against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, and their attacking patterns subsequently looked a bit off.
Ange Postecoglou threw on Son Heung-min (£9.7m) at half-time, but they were second-best for large periods.
Dominic Solanke (£7.3m) probably carried the most threat, with four shots in the box, including two Opta-defined ‘big chances’, but this was another bad day at the office for Spurs, who have now lost 15 Premier League games in 2024/25.