ENZO MARESCA'S PLAN: PREDICTED CHELSEA XI TO CUT ARSENAL'S LEAD
Chelsea hosts Arsenal, looking to close the gap on the leaders. Maresca must choose between rotation and sticking with the winning Barca XI, with Palmer fit.
Chelsea faces a big challenge with games against Barcelona and Arsenal at home. Fresh off a 3-0 win against Barcelona, Enzo Maresca's team has a chance to get within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal if they win this Sunday.
After Tuesday's strong showing, will Maresca stick with a similar lineup against their London rivals, or will he rotate players as he often does?
Here's a possible Chelsea lineup:
Robert Sanchez
Sanchez has been playing well this season. He wasn't tested much against Barcelona, but he used his feet well to start attacks from the back.
Reece James
James played in midfield against Barca, but Maresca might use him at right-back today. James has played well wherever he's been put this season, and Chelsea needs another strong game from him.
Wesley Fofana
Fofana's recent performances might be underrated. He's looked close to his best. If he's fit, he should start again.
Trevoh Chalobah
Chalobah is Maresca's main guy at centre-back. It's a big change for Chalobah, who was training with the Under-21s last season as the club looked to sell him. Now, he's one of the first players on the team sheet.
Marc Cucurella
Cucurella played great on Tuesday, stopping Lamine Yamal. Today, he faces another tough test against Bukayo Saka.
Moises Caicedo
Everyone's talking about 'Moises Caicedo vs. Declan Rice.' Caicedo is likely more focused on helping Chelsea get the win. If he plays great, Chelsea has a better chance.
Enzo Fernández
Fernandez might play a bit deeper today. But he'll still be able to make his usual runs into the box. Arsenal's midfield needs to watch him closely.
Pedro Neto
Neto started as the main striker against Barcelona, but might play on the right wing today. Maresca has been careful with Estevao Willian, despite his talent, and might hold him back again.
Cole Palmer
The big news is that Palmer is fit to play. Maresca said he could even start if needed. It's a risk, but Chelsea might need some magic from Palmer's left foot to break down Arsenal's tough defence.
Alejandro Garnacho
Many were surprised he didn't start against Barcelona, but Garnacho could be in the lineup today. Maresca is trusting him more with each game. He'll need to help Cucurella against Arsenal.
Joao Pedro
Joao Pedro didn't play against Barcelona but could return today. Liam Delap scored his first goal of the season on Tuesday, so he could start. But Maresca might go with Joao Pedro, who has been in good form in the Premier League.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro
WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS
Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.
After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.
Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.
Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.
Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.
The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.
Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.
Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.
He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.
Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.
Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.
There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.
Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.
It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.
He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.
BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE
Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.
Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.
The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.
So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.
Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.
After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.
Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.
"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.
The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.
Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.
Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.
About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."
But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.
Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.
But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.
Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.
But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.
After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.