Liverpool legend Steve Nicol criticised Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro after Chelsea were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge.
Fresh from lifting the Club World Cup, Chelsea looked short of sharpness as they failed to break down a disciplined and well-organised Palace side in west London.
The Blues’ best opportunities came after the break, with debutants Estevão Willian, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos all going close. But while Palace thought they had snatched victory through Eberechi Eze’s thunderous free-kick, VAR chalked the goal off.
Nicol: “Chelsea had no answers”
Speaking on ESPN, Nicol was unimpressed with Chelsea’s performance and singled out Palmer and Pedro for failing to make an impact.
“It was a fair result, I don’t think either side did enough to win this game,” he said.
“Cole Palmer was invisible, as was most of the Chelsea players. Joao Pedro, after all the praise he got at the Club World Cup, just wasn’t in the game today, he wasn’t at the races.
“Chelsea had no answers. Palace are so well organised under Oliver Glasner, and you need legs to break them down. Chelsea just didn’t have them. I feel for them a little because coming back from the Club World Cup with only two weeks of prep made this one of the worst openers they could’ve had.”
Chelsea’s ambitions questioned
Nicol added that despite the underwhelming performance, expectations remain sky-high for Enzo Maresca’s side after another big-spending summer.
“Realistically, Chelsea should be looking at the top four – that has to be the minimum,” Nicol said. “With the money they’ve spent, Champions League qualification is non-negotiable.”
Maresca defends his players
For his part, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca admitted his team could have been sharper but was reluctant to criticise too harshly given the circumstances.
“Tough game, we expected a tough game,” he told BBC’s Match of the Day.
“We could have counter-attacked better, we could have defended better, but it is only the first game of the season. They played about eight games, we played just two, so we tried our best. At least we didn’t lose and we kept a clean sheet.”
Palace satisfied with their point
Palace defender Chris Richards praised his side’s resilience, describing the goalless draw as a “good way to start the season.”
“We worked well together,” Richards told the club’s official website.
“We knew Chelsea have a very dangerous attack, but if we could stop them scoring, we’d always have a good chance. A draw is still a good point and it gives us something to build on.”
Steve Nicol Slams Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro After Stalemate With Palace
