Player ratings from Chelsea’s win over Crystal Palace on Sunday showed 10 players in the squad rated above 7, while one player was rated just 6.4.
That man was Pedro Neto, who was rather ineffective on the left wing. He touched the ball 26 times, made 0 accurate passes, touched the ball 0 times in the opponent’s penalty area, had a dribbling success rate of 50%, and only won 2 of 9 confrontations.
advertise
Chelsea winger loses control of starting spot
Player ratings for Chelsea vs Crystal Palace.
Neto has had this starting spot locked down for some time. Despite his many shortcomings, both Enzo Maresca and now Liam Roniol seem to really like the qualities he possesses.
He is quick and direct and his pace is a threat from behind. He’s also an experienced and intelligent presser, which helps him stay in the team in big games, while his ability on both sides of the ball means he gets more opportunities.
However, after another disappointing performance in possession, his time as a first-team starter for our first-team squad is certainly coming. Estevo will now have to play on the right, with Alejandro Ganaccio and Jamie Gittens sure to put pressure on Neto on the left. If one of them could find something, they would definitely send him away.
advertise
When Cole Palmer returns, the competition will become even fiercer if Ronnie Orr elects to use him more extensively.
In other news…
N’Golo Kante has set some crazy records for Chelsea during his time at the club, and it was even more impressive when Andre Santos broke one of them while playing for the Blues at the weekend.
Joao Pedro has struggled for much of his first season at Chelsea, but he proved he needs more starts with a rare and effective performance in the final third yesterday with a goal and an assist for the Blues.