**Josh Acheampong**has stepped up again from the Cobham academy to show he should have a future in the first team for Chelsea. He allayed the fears of Enzo Maresca, filling a position he found "chill and relaxed", but wanted much more to mark a match when he took responsibility on his shoulders.
‘I was definitely expecting it’
The Eagles have just beaten **Liverpool**in the Community Shield and are a bogey team for the 'Big Six' with a deep, disciplined 5-2-3 block, strong set pieces, and a front three that can counter quickly.
This draw saw good openings for both outfits, but Acheampong asserted the hosts should have won.
“We played well. We had a lot of chances and if we took them, I think we should have won the game. They're a physical team, quite compact, so it's hard to play through, but we created lots of chances.”
**Chelsea**came into the game with a bit of a crisis at centre back in the eyes of their manager. Levi Colwill is out with an ACL injury, **Wesley Fofana**watched from the bench to avoid risking another injury, and Tosin Adarabioyo was absent from the matchday squad due to a physical issue.
Trevoh Chalobah covered Colwill, and Acheampong was to his right. In ball possession, with Marc Cucurella coming into midfield, he was in the centre of the back three: a new role that he enjoyed.
“I think it's a good role to be fair. It's a lot more chill and relaxed, but I think I'm getting used to it. It's new. It's different, but the more I play it, I think the better I'm getting at it. It helps: the academy philosophy is to play forward, break lines. So, I just try and take it into first team football as well.”
The teenager made his full debut in the English top tier away at Palace at the start of the year, coming up against Mateta on several occasions. He expected the street-smart striker to be a physical problem.
“He just said to play my game, be strong, be physical. Mateta’s strong, so to be ready and prepared for it. I was definitely expecting it, to be ready for a lot of one v one situations, but it was all right.”
This fixture was only the third time that the 19-year-old has started in the Premier League. He knows he has room to develop in his game, and the duel with the Frenchman has taught him a few lessons.
“When we're trying to win the game and it's tough just to always be switched on and focused as like any counterattack they're trying to score. So just to be ready to be fair.”
There was also a little time to talk about how the group has adapted to having a short preseason.
Jamie Gittens, Estevao, and Andrey Santos all played in the Premier League for the first time, while Liam Delap and **Joao Pedro**made their league debuts for the Blues. The Club World Cup has helped with the unity in the camp, and the defender does not worry about more bonds building.
“As a group we're really close so as soon as we came back in we're all focused and prepared to play games and win games. I think as the as time goes on, new connections form in training and just hopefully we can take it into the game. I think we just need to rest and recover and go again.”