Wilfried Zaha's return has the desired impact
When Wilfried Zaha’s name was called out just before kick off, Selhurst Park erupted. Crystal Palace’s player of the year was back to fitness and thrust straight into the starting XI for his first action since the opening weekend 3-0 loss to Huddersfield. It was no shock that Roy Hodgson called on the Ivorian from the get go, despite being sidelined for the best part of two months. With Christian Benteke sidelined and Palace in desperate need of a goal and points, Zaha’s return to the field could be the turning point in their season.
Starting as the focal point in attack, Zaha led the line with aplomb and came close to opening the scoring early on, only to be denied by a smart Thibaut Courtois stop. He made no mistake on the stroke of half time, however, as he slid a low effort past the Belgian to score his first and Palace’s second on Saturday. That proved to be the winning goal, with Zaha making the desired impact following his return to the first team fold. No player completed more dribbles than the Palace star (6) while two key passes and three shots helped him earn a WhoScored rating of 8.18, more than any other Eagles player.
Hodgson is boosted on the back of Zaha’s availability and it resonated throughout the team as Palace churned out a solid display to put their first points on the board. Crucial league meetings with Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham await the Eagles before the next international break and Benteke being able to overcome injury. Zaha’s performance, though, will undeniably buoy the south London side and ease Benteke’s absence ahead of a critical run of fixtures.
Is Michy Batshuayi good enough to cover for Alvaro Morata?
When Alvaro Morata was forced off against Manchester City prior to the international break, it was a huge blow for Chelsea. The Spaniard has taken to the Premier League football like a duck to water, though the frequency with which he was playing after a year playing a bit part role with Real Madrid meant injuries were going to flare until his body adjusted accordingly. Willian replaced Morata in the 1-0 loss, despite Michy Batshuayi’s availability from the bench. Antonio Conte’s decision was questioned, particularly as the Belgian netted the winner in the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid days earlier.
Conte, though, restored Batshuayi to the XI for his first away start since the 1-0 victory over West Brom that guaranteed Chelsea the title. The 24-year-old scored the Premier League winning goal that evening, but looked a shadow of himself in the opening 45 minutes at Selhurst Park. Batshuayi managed just 13 touches in the first half, fewer than any other player, with the former Marseille man marked out of the game with ease. Morata offers more off the ball than Batshuayi, and that has helped endear himself to Chelsea fans quickly.
Unless the chances are created for Batshuayi, however, he offers little in the final third and so it proved at Selhurst Park. The Belgium international struggled against Scott Dann and Mamadou Sakho and it was no shock to see him withdrawn for Pedro before the hour mark. If Batshuayi is determined to succeed at Chelsea, he needs to improve his work off the ball or he runs the risk of falling further down the striking pecking order under Conte.
Does Cesc Fabregas have defensive nous to cover for N'Golo Kante?
Having lost N’Golo Kante to a hamstring injury sustained with the France national team during the international break, and with Danny Drinkwater still injured, Antonio Conte was forced to pair Cesc Fabregas alongside WhoScored man of the match Tiemoue Bakayoko in the middle of the park for the first time in the Premier League. Kante’s absence is a blow, of that there is no doubt, with the Blues missing their defensive lynchpin and the key player to drive the team forward, even if he does offer little in the final third. The 26-year-old’s influence cannot be overstated and with the games coming thick and fast between now and the end of the month, his injury hinders Chelsea in their pursuit of domestic and continental glory.
Fabregas, though, was solid in the middle of the park and his influence against teams that sit deep and squeeze the space between the midfield and defence is vital. He provided the assist for Tiemoue Bakayoko’s header, albeit from a corner, and was on hand to try his luck at splitting Palace’s high defence, making four key passes. When Pedro was introduced, the Spaniard routinely looked to spot the run of his compatriot from the right, only for Palace to step up at just the right time. Off the ball too, Fabregas was hugely impressive, making a match high nine tackles. The major concern comes in the 30-year-old’s immobility compared to Kante. Wilfried Zaha was often allowed a free run at the Chelsea defence, which would not have happened had Kante been fit to play. Against more dominant teams, the Blues may struggle when Fabregas is fielded with Bakayoko as the central midfield pair.
Even when Victor Moses is fit, Davide Zappacosta should start for Chelsea
Had Victor Moses succumbed to injury last season, it could well have spelled disaster for Chelsea in their title quest. However, when the Nigerian was forced off in the first half at Selhurst Park, Antonio Conte was able to look to Davide Zappacosta to cover for Moses. The deadline day arrival from Torino has been forced to wait for his chance to establish himself for the champions, yet has been solid when called upon. His cameo showing at Selhurst Park suggests Conte should upgrade Zappacosta to first choice wing-back, even as and when Moses recovers.
The 25-year-old summer arrival offered more attacking verve and stronger defensive solidity that Moses on the back of his introduction and, if Chelsea are to make up the gap between themselves and table toppers Manchester City, it’s vital Conte utilises a specialist at wing-back rather than a winger who performed well when required in Chelsea’s 3-4-3 setup.
Roy Hodgson needs to persist with Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic as his midfield pair
Roy Hodgson first paired Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic in the 5-0 defeat at Manchester City in a 4-2-3-1 formation, before deploying a 4-3-3 system with Jason Puncheon in the 4-0 loss to Manchester United. After such damaging results, Hodgson wouldn’t have been chastised for returning to the drawing board in a bid to find his best midfield pair, but to his credit, he stuck with the partnership for the welcome of Chelsea and he was justified in his decision to do so. Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s enforced absence limited the Palace boss’ options, yet even when he is available, Hodgson would be wise to continue with Cabaye and Milivokevic as the midfield anchors.
Cabaye missed the final minutes of the 2-1 win over Chelsea, but not before he made more interceptions (6) than any other player on the pitch. Milivojevic was on hand to make five tackles as the duo broke up play effectively to force Chelsea to the channels. The victory will undeniably boost morale after such a slack start to the season, but it was made entirely possible by the Cabaye-Milivojevic partnership. Wilfried Zaha will come away with the plaudits in the wake of his return, but the solid midfield base provides an effective foundation with which to build upon for the Eagles.
