Chelsea were unable to go into the international break off the back of a victory after being held to a draw against Nottingham Forest.
Enzo Maresca’s side were unable to find a winner against 10 men late on, with Noni Madueke’s fine strike bringing them back into the game.
The Blues had enough chances to win the game, and the attacking reinforcements sent on by the manager are unfortunately guilty of spurning two of their better chances late on.
It was certainly a competitive game against their mid-table opponents though, with some of the fluency and brilliance seen against West Ham and Brighton not on display on Sunday.
Maresca should drop Enzo Fernandez
Maresca named an unchanged side for his last two games, however should now look at making a change in the middle of the park, with Enzo Fernandez the one who should drop out.
His partner, Moises Caicedo, has been one of the top performers at the club this season, however Fernandez has been a level below what is required.
Maresca should replace Fernandez with Romeo Lavia
Perhaps dropping him to the bench will be made easier by the recent return of Romeo Lavia from injury, with him already showing he could be the perfect profile for Maresca’s football.
The youngster was arguably Chelsea’s best player in their opening day Premier League match against Manchester City, with Gary Neville very impressed with his display.
There are plenty who would be keen to see a duo of Lavia and Caicedo in midfield, and the challenge that comes with their upcoming league games suggests Maresca needs things to be 100% right if they are to get the desired amount of points.
Lavia will have another two weeks to build up his fitness now with the international break, and Fernandez’s late return as always after featuring in South America suggests that next game could be the best time for a change.
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