Cole Palmer made his first appearance for Chelsea in more than two months but could not stop his error-prone side from suffering a disastrous defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road. The west Londoners suffered their first league defeat since October on Wednesday night as the hosts proved too strong for them. Just six minutes into the game, Xhaka Bihor opened the scoring for Leeds with a corner from Anton Stacchi.
Late in the first half, Aoi Tanaka brought down Robert Sanchez from the edge of the box, sending Elland Road into a frenzy of celebration. Pedro Neto, brought on as a half-time substitute, pulled one back for Chelsea with a close-range finish just after the interval. With just over 15 minutes left in regulation time, Tosin Adarabioyo handed Leeds the ball inside their own area and Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed the win with a goal.
Here’s the Chelsea player’s assessment from that unforgettable night in Yorkshire…
Chelsea player rating vs Leeds United
Robert Sanchez – 5
His distribution was below average, which is a shame considering his recent development. We couldn’t do anything about the first two goals. He fought for third place, but Toshin gave him a hard time.
Trevor Chalobah – 5
He started at right back. He struggled there and was moved to the center at half-time, but unsurprisingly looked more comfortable.
Toshin Adarabioyo – 3
They looked very shaky early on and struggled to cope with the physicality Leeds were showing. Terrible for Leeds’ third goal. He becomes possessed and lethargic, and is punished.
Benoit Badiashil – 4
He made his first start in the Premier League in about two months. There were a few missed passes early on. He was substituted at halftime.
Marc Cucurella – 6
That doesn’t mean much when you consider the team’s overall performance, but he is one of Chelsea’s better performers.
Andrei Santos – 5
He replaced Moises Caicedo in what was always going to be a challenging match. Made some notable interceptions. It was a tough match for the Brazilian midfielder.
Enzo Fernandes – 4
Tanaka’s goal was really disappointing. He was careless with the ball and gave it to Leeds in a very dangerous position. Overall, he was far from the best.
Estevao Willian – 5
Chelsea struggled to include him in their attacking line-up. In the second game, he was substituted at halftime.
Joao Pedro – 5
Almost invisible. There were some miscontrols and sloppy play when Chelsea needed more precision.
Jamie Gittens – 5
He continued to challenge Jayden Bogle on Chelsea’s left flank. But he had no final product.
Liam Delap – 4
Chelsea could have benefited from more possession from their No. 9 early on when they were under pressure. His hold-up play is usually one of his strengths, but at times it was lacking.
substitute
Pedro Neto – 7
Scored immediately after appearing. He took advantage of the opportunity really well. A real bright spot for the Blues.
Maro Gusto – 5
He showed good performance under difficult conditions. It seemed a little crazy at times, but eventually I settled into the game.
Cole Palmer – 5
It was great to see him come back. They should have done better after being set up by Alejandro Garnacho in the 69th minute.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6
He looked confident. Probably the assist to Palmer in the 69th minute.
Mark Giu – N/A
Although he played some playing time, he failed to make a noticeable impact.
