Chelsea showed that they still had a couple of steps to go in their project before they match the level of yesterday’s opponents, Liverpool.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 at Anfield, despite completing more of their passes in that stadium than any club had done before.
Enzo Maresca seemed relatively pleased with what he had seen from his side, and the response they got from the away supporters after the game suggested they echoed his thoughts.
While the likes of Romeo Lavia certainly took their opportunities, it is fair to say that not everyone was performing at their highest level yesterday afternoon.
One player who was guilty of this was Cole Palmer. It felt as if Liverpool had a very particular plan in place to stop him in the attacking phase.
Frank Lampard says Cole Palmer struggled vs Liverpool
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard pointed out that despite the fact he has the ability to be a game-changer for the Blues, he wasn’t at his best against Liverpool yesterday.
He said to the Premier League’s official website: “It is always disappointing when you feel like you’ve done good things in the game and a team with the quality of Liverpool weren’t at their best and you don’t come away with anything.
“The game-changers like Cole Palmer didn’t have their moments. They were lacking an edge at the top end of the pitch.”
Rare off day for Palmer
Palmer has plenty of credit in the bank based on his performances for the club since he joined just over a year ago, and nobody will be too concerned with how he played in just this game.
The England international will not be present for the next Blues game, with them back in action in the Conference League on Thursday.
Nevertheless, it is safe to assume his place will be in no danger next weekend when they return to Premier League football with the visit of Newcastle to Stamford Bridge.
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