Chelsea v Fulham player ratings: three 4/10s as Palmer breaks record | Soccer

Chelsea paid the price for their profligacy as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Fulham to lose the west London derby on Boxing Day.

A superb solo goal from Cole Palmer put the Blues in control by breaking the record for most goals scored in a calendar year for Chelsea (26). And Enzo MarescaThe men played some scintillating football throughout the half without adding to their advantage.

Levi Colwill saw his goal ruled out for offside early in the second half, giving Fulham some hope as they moved forward, as Harry Wilson produced the goods with a close range header to equalize.

The Blues paid the price for wasting a couple of golden chances as substitute Rodrigo Muniz stunned the home crowd with a stoppage-time winner to earn Fulham their first victory over Chelsea lawn since 1979.

Express Sport analyzes the hosts’ performances with Stamford Bridge player ratings.

Robert Sanchez 6

After making a few smart saves in the first half, the Spaniard produced a fine save to smother Robinson’s effort in the second half. He could do nothing to stop the goal, although his role in providing the second was obvious.

Malo Taste 4

The Frenchman didn’t do anything too out of shape, although Fulham were encouraged to attack down the left by the amount of space afforded to Robinson and Iwobi, and Gusto’s lack of aggression in closing down the ball contributed to this . Taken completely by surprise when Wilson returned home.

Tosin Adarabioyo 4

Facing his former club six months after leaving on a free transfer, the imposing centre-back was repeatedly bypassed by Fulham’s fast runners and had some uncomfortable moments. Ignorant when it came to where Wilson was for the equalizer.

Levi Colwill 4

Credited with an assist on Palmer’s solo goal, the defender was also solid in defense and won vital duels. A goal was also ruled out for offside. Loose positioning for late goals and questions must be asked about his position for Muniz’s winner.

Marc Cucurella 5

Completely unmarked by a delicious performance from Palmer, the Spaniard could and should have made it 2-0, which would have been his third consecutive match to find the net. This rapid entry into the box illustrates his deployment of action and the Spaniard continues to impress in his role as Maresca’s service man, even if he has neglected his defensive duties once too often.

Moses Caicedo 6

When do we start the campaign for Caicedo to be one of the best midfielders in the league? His anticipation and interception were exceptional, reading the danger posed by Fulham and patrolling the back line like an Area 51 guard.

Enzo Fernández 7

A real pleasure to watch in this form, Fernandez pulls the strings and produces luxurious long-range passes. Very unfortunate not to score from 20 yards after a fingertip save from Bernd Leno and we can’t blame him for his team’s late collapse.

Pedro Neto 5

The Portuguese cannot be faulted for his defensive efforts and it was also necessary, given Antonee Robinson’s relentless run down the left side. However, in the final third his final result was somewhat disappointing. Reserve.

Cole Palmer 7

Maresca may have unwrapped his Christmas presents yesterday, but the Italian has everything he needs with Palmer. The first 20 minutes from him were as good as any player’s this season, and he capped it with a blistering solo run, beating three players before slipping nonchalantly into the corner. His performance in the second half, however, was a bit disappointing and his influence waned.

Jadon Sancho5

Probably the quietest player on the pitch in the first half, the winger needs to do more to stay involved in the game as his flashes of brilliance are not enough. That said, he improved after the break with some nice touches.

Nicolas Jackson6

Led the front line with some smart touches and clever hold-up play, and at one point almost copied Palmer’s goal but failed to finish. If there is one criticism to be made of the Senegalese, it is his lack of urgency to shoot inside the box.

Substitutes

Christophe Nkunku (at 73′) 6

Chased down a decent opportunity in the middle and was unlucky to be denied by Leno late on.

Not used: Jorgensen, Bettinelli, Disasi, Acheampong, George, Felix, Casadei, Guiu