A NEW YEAR but still the same frustrating Chelsea who could not wait to say goodbye to 2024.
The past two weeks has seen them transformed from title-chasers to now up against it trying to stay in the Premier League’s top four.
Enzo Maresca was eight minutes away seeing his rejigged side clinch a hard-fought victory that would have meant the Christmas period was not a total disaster.
Instead they cracked late in the second half and paid the price for failing to finish off multiple chances to grab their first win in four games.
Boss Maresca always talked down his chances of chasing down Liverpool during his debut season at Stamford Bridge. That would have been a stretch.
But those above his head have set a high bar for their club to be playing Champions League football regularly.
Chelsea remain fourth but are now only a point above Newcastle who piled the pressure on them in the early game by winning at Tottenham.
The Italian’s team responded to the threat by taking the lead through Cole Palmer inside a quarter of an hour only to let it slip in the dying moments and allow powerhouse Jean-Philippe Mateta to equalise in the 82nd.
It’s the new year but Chelsea look far from resolute and Maresca can see the weaknesses that are holding his team back.
Jadon Sancho was restored to the starting line up as one of six changes imposed by the determined coach as he looked to plot a way out of Chelsea’s mini slump.
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Recent defeats against Fulham and Ipswich have dented confidence in the camp. Combined with injuries to key defenders, the head coach rejigged his team to give it a fresher look.
Maresca drafted in teenager Josh Acheampong for his first Premier League start – playing alongside Levi Colwill in a young partnership at centre back.
Acheampong, 18, is highly regarded at Stamford Bridge but a tough away game when the chips are down would not be the ideal circumstances to hand a young kid such an honour. Such is life at Chelsea right now.
But winger Sancho settled the nerves for the visitors when he produced a piece of trickery to help get Chelsea off the mark.
Collecting a low pass from Colwill, he sold Chris Richards a huge dummy and rounded the Palace defender to set himself free down the left flank in the 14th minute.
Having bought time and space for his run, he then picked out Palmer inside the box, who in turn poked the ball home across the face of goal to claim his 13th Premier League goal of the season.
It was a class move by Chelsea and equally unfortunate for Richards.
The American had moments earlier produced a classy tackle to block the goalbound run of Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson who was clean through.
It was the sort of last-ditch but well-timed lunge with the back of his heel that underlines how defending is an underrated art form.
Not long after putting his team ahead, Palmer was just inches away from a neat cut back from Pedro Neto that would have made it 2-0 and made the visitors a lot more comfortable.
Instead, Palace refused to buckle and Mateta went close with a shot that was touched just wide of the post by a Chelsea boot.
He was also just too late to latch onto Ismaila Sarr’s header down into the box that left the goal gaping.
For as well as in defence, Chelsea are showing signs of weakness in goal with neither Robert Sanchez nor Filip Jorgensen able to convince their manager to give them a regular run between the sticks.
Sanchez is a clanger waiting to happen and duly obliged with a goal kick that barely cleared the grass tops and fell straight to Cheick Doucoure in the centre circle.
Luckily the move failed to lead anywhere but it shows how Maresca’s view that his team is not ready for a sustained challenge at the top of the table yet is spot on.
Chelsea’s erratic keeper then redeemed himself by tipping over a Richards header in the 56th minute.
Jackson missed the target in the second half. Going so close as to bite his fingers in frustration at his narrow miss.
And with Palace turning the screw, they nicked a late point when Sarr threaded a through ball to Eberechi Eze, who in turn squared for the advancing Mateta.
Palace’s lead man rammed home a shot to show Chelsea how to be clinical when the pressure is on.
Fifth place in the Premier League could well be enough to clinch Champions League football next season and right now that might well be a relief to Maresca.
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