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.
MARC CUCURELLA OUT? PREDICTED LINEUP REVEALED AS CHELSEA CHASE VITAL WIN
With one win in six, Chelsea must beat Bournemouth. Get the latest team news on Reece James, Estevao, and Cole Palmer here.
Enzo Maresca might have to shake things up when Chelsea plays Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge tonight.
The Blues lost to Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday after Ollie Watkins scored twice in the second half.
Chelsea hasn't been doing great, winning only one of their last six league games. They don't have much time to feel sorry for themselves since they have to play Bournemouth just three days later.
Maresca might need to make some changes against Andoni Iraola’s team, who haven't been doing so hot lately either. Their last win was way back in October against Nottingham Forest.
Marc Cucurella has been playing left-back for Chelsea almost every game this season, but he had to leave the game against Villa in the second half because he got hurt.
‘He said his hamstring was bothering him, so we don’t know if he’s injured or not. That’s why he asked to be taken out,’ Maresca said after the game when someone asked about Cucurella.
Because the games are so close together, the Chelsea coach might not want to take a risk. That means Malo Gusto could start at left-back instead of Cucurella.
Reece James played the whole game last weekend, but could play again tonight. Wesley Fofana might also be back in the starting lineup.
The guy was rested against Aston Villa to keep him in shape. Benoit Badiashille started instead, but that could switch back tonight.
Jorrel Hato could have started in Cucurella’s spot tonight, but he got injured during a warm-up recently and won’t be able to play against Bournemouth.
Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, and Dario Essugo are still out for the Blues for a while.
Chelsea's starting lineup against Bournemouth—STADIUMNEST's guess:
Maresca will likely stick with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the midfield, but he might switch things up further up the field.
Alejandro Garnacho hasn't been scoring much lately, so Jamie Gittens could take his place on the left wing tonight.
Estevao is healthy again, too. He came off the bench to replace Palmer against Villa and wants to start.
Palmer seemed annoyed when he was taken out of the game last weekend. He's probably hoping to play the whole 90 minutes tonight, which he hasn't done since coming back from his injury.
Chelsea vs. Bournemouth starts tonight (Tuesday, December 30)