Really hoping this is Simons + a front of shirt sponsor

FireSide

#MATCHDAY

CONUNDRUM

Straight replacement albeit with some worries is starting Badiashile in the CCB ball playing role.

Another adaptation Maresca could make is tweaking Reece into that CCB passing role. He has got the tools to manage. But it will mean starting Gusto too. Adding this to cucurella and that defence will seriously lack in height.

Wild cat? Long term?

Acheampong.

Yes sometimes he makes errors. It's part of the growth process that we must agree may happen during adaptation. It happened with Sanchez, Reece, Gusto and even Colwill himself. Even Cubarsi had his downtime before his consistency.

The kid has the technical abilities but just lacks experience. Experience is attained through both tough and easy times. Pressure makes diamonds.

Eberechi Eze is set to start for Crystal Palace against #Chelsea today.

[via Gary Jacob]

Which front three will you choose for today's game?

Back in action 🏟️

🚨 Chelsea made some calls in June to show interest in Kenan Yildiz but Juventus blocked any possibility of it happening.

(Via Fabrizio Romano)

This season, our lineup feels settled unlike 1 or 2 years ago when we were still testing who fits best in the XI. A clear sign of how far the team has developed. 💙

Ready to play. 💪

#CFC | #CHECRY

#HALFTIME

So far so good with Acheampong.

The team's performance? below par.

We need massive improvements to put down this physical crystal side

Midfield is so terrible. Caicedo is alone in the middle

I’m not ready for Enzo in attacking positions this season again please. No G/A is fooling me, Bring Xavi Simons already. He’s just not good there you need to accept it and move on

•We’re struggling to break Palace’s midfield because we lack a risk-taking midfielder who can drive forward and link play. (Reijnders for City in reference)

•We're just depending on Chalobah’s diagonals too much.

Josh Acheampong completed 47 passes in the first half, more than any other player.

(BBC Sport)

Palace scored 15 of their 51 league goals last season in the 15 minutes after the break. We have safely evaded that. They've scored 14 after the 75th minute. That's the next challenge.

#FULLTIME

Until late into the second half, we were our own enemies.

Our movement with the ball was so poor and made it easy for the Palace low block.

One point gained rather than two lost. But we should certainly improve.

Very very poor performance today. We were forced to always play the ball inside due to Chalobah being right footed and that’s not his fault. We need to be honest about some players in this team. Onto the next

•Credit to Crystal Palace,their midfield structure forced Chelsea into uncomfortable situations, often making our players look indecisive on the ball.

•We looked predictable in possession and too slow in midfield, which played right into Palace’s hands. Palmer struggled to influence the game, not due to Maresca’s tactics, but because Palace effectively shut down the pockets space he usually thrives in.

•This match once again underlined Chelsea’s lack of a midfielder who can break lines and unlock compact defensive blocks , a key gap that still needs addressing.

Positives -

🔹Clean sheet

🔹Josh didn’t look out of place and did well with Mateta.

🔹Still unbeaten 😉

🔹Palace will take a lot of points off many teams this year.

🔹It’s wasn’t our most fluid but with 2 weeks pre season it’s inevitable.

🔹Not the start we wanted but not the end of the world either.

🔹Let’s try and not overreact to this. Long season ahead. It will take time to click.

[Via ArchieStanding]

The Gundogan role

A Central midfielder plus an Attacking midfielder in the same game/mold with responsibilities of build up play, central progression and box crashing.

1. For this role you have to be tactically and technically very smart and fast, You need mobility, agility and a very good engine to play that role. it’s the most difficult position in a JDP system

2. For that role you need to have athleticism/strength and pausa Because it’s very exhausting going back to defend your box and going forward to attack the opposition’s box, The very best players who do that to a very high level are Jude Bellingham and Gundogan in his prime (Both are very smart on and off the ball with great first touches and press resistance).

3. The players we currently have, have never played that position to a high level except Enzo last season in which he struggled but had goal contributions in which we all can testify to compared to his normal role/position. He often is a passenger because of his limitations which are his lack of mobility, lack of strength and athleticism. He also losses the ball very easily when pressed and is horrible out of possession. This means Caicedo is often left on an island to defend large spaces

This is not a dig on any player or on the coach. If we insist on playing this formation we need to be extremely smart in our recruitment to suit Maresca’s style

Mike Penders with a clean sheet in his debut for Strasbourg 🚫🧤

What is exactly wrong with this Lavia guy? Joined in 2023 and we are almost in 2026 already