Chelsea struggled to really get going in their first Premier League game of the season, and ultimately have already dropped two points on their rivals at the top of the table.
The Blues were held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, with the likes of Andrey Santos and Trevoh Chalobah missing big chances to secure all three points.
Chelsea actually got quite lucky that they came away with a point in the end. Eberechi Eze’s free-kick was disallowed due to encroachment on the wall, sparing Robert Sanchez’s blushes.
One of the most notable things surrounding the draw was the difficulties the attackers faced on the day. They managed just three shots on target, with two of them coming in the final minutes of the game following the introduction of Liam Delap.
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There had been plenty of excitement over Joao Pedro going into the new season, after he found the net five times in his first five appearances for the club.
However, he was unable to get into the game, and Chelsea failed to score on the opening day for the second successive season.
Gary Neville still believes Chelsea are in for a strong campaign, however believes their attacking options cannot compete with those at Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
He said: “I think Chelsea will have a very good season but you’re not looking at Joao Pedro and Delap in the same light as Arsenal’s front line or Haaland or Liverpool, the spine is also not there, they’re not ready, we’re not just saying that because of today, because they’ve drawn against a very good side in Crystal Palace”
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Enzo Maresca got it wrong against Palace
In starting Pedro in the number nine role, Maresca decided to feature Delap as a substitute, leaving him forced to make his mark in just 17 minutes.
With Palace starting their traditional back three, a more physical presence looked as if it was what was required for Chelsea, and this was shown in their performance in the final minutes.
Maresca made a mistake not starting Delap, however it is one he can rectify in their next game against West Ham.
Their London rivals play a similar formation to what Palace did, and they should now have the blueprint for how to be better prepared to break them down.