In round 20 of the Premier League, Chelsea faced Crystal Palace. Despite scoring a goal through Cole Palmer, The Blues could not maintain their advantage and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. With their fourth consecutive winless match in the Premier League, Chelsea dropped to fourth place.
The match against Crystal Palace showed Chelsea's defensive crisis, when they had to use young player Josh Acheampong. Playing alongside Levi Colwill, the 18-year-old star had an impressive first match as a starter in the Premier League.
Coach Enzo Maresca praised Acheampong, according to Metro: “All the players for me played well today, but if I had to pick one, I think Josh was the best player today. Look at his age and it was his first game.
For me, Josh can be a top player for this club, but he needs the right path, the right time. With young players, you have to decide when the time is right. We decided today because he looked ready.
I think he has shown how good he is. But at his age, he needs to slow down a bit, work harder and take the next opportunity.”
As for Chelsea, their dream of competing for the Premier League title is fading away. Now, they are also at risk of losing their place in the top 4, with both Newcastle and Man City hot on their heels.
After Chelsea’s poor run of form, Enzo Maresca criticised his players for being too wasteful. He continued: “If I had to decide why we didn’t win, I think it was because we didn’t take our chances to kill the game. If you keep playing so openly and attacking so poorly, sooner or later you will lose.”
