Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Leeds: Late Collapse Could Have Devastating Consequences

The Blues played one of their best hours of football this season, but then dramatically fell apart in the closing stages.

Cole Palmer’s frustration was visible after Chelsea’s capitulation. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

On a night where Chelsea were dominant, the Blues squandered a two-goal advantage and settled for a disappointing 2–2 draw against Leeds United at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea were vastly superior in every department through the opening hour of the clash and goals from João Pedro and Cole Palmer had Liam Rosenior’s side in complete control.

But, out of nowhere, Moisés Caicedo gifted Leeds a penalty that Robert Nmecha dispatched and Chelsea unravelled. Minutes later, Noah Okafor brought the visitors level after yet another egregious defensive sequence from the Blues.

Palmer had a golden opportunity to score the winner deep into stoppage time but skied his shot in front of an open net. Chelsea had a chance to end the night two points from second place in the Premier League, but instead, they dropped points from a match they had all but won—a result that could prove incredibly costly in their quest to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

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The Moment That Changed The Game

Moisés Caicedo (middle) gifted Leeds a penalty when the game was under control. | Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside/Getty Images

Chelsea were nothing short of dominant during the first hour of the game, getting a two-goal advantage before even allowing a single shot on goal. That all changed in the 64th minute, when an avoidable Moisés Caicedo challenge turned the game on its head.

The Ecuador international arrived late to a duel and recklessly fouled Jayden Bogle inside the penalty area, gifting Leeds a penalty that Robert Nmecha converted into a goal with his side’s first shot on goal and only their second overall.

Chelsea never recovered from the gut punch, looking visibly nervous in the ensuing minutes as the visitors grew into the game. A previously confident and stout backline suddenly looked out of sorts, and just six minutes later, a chaotic action where Chelsea defenders had plenty of chances to clear the ball ended up with Noah Okafor tucking Leeds’ equaliser, consummating the Blues’ collapse.

In a game where Chelsea were previously cruising, a costly mistake from one of the team’s best players sufficed for Rosenior’s side to crumble. The Blues never recovered and were unable to find a winner, resulting in dropped points in a game where they played some of their best football of the season through 60 minutes.

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Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Leeds (4-2-3-1)

João Pedro continued his stellar form. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FCGetty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Robert Sánchez—6.1: His distribution was on point, with one of his accurate long balls to Pedro resulting in a penalty. However, he didn’t answer the call when he was needed and could’ve done more to prevent the equaliser.

RB: Malo Gusto—7.3: Found the byline on multiple occasions and tirelessly covered ground down the right flank, but he also had a couple of shaky actions that highlight the inconsistent nature of his game, especially defensively.

CB: Josh Acheampong—5.8: Had a number of galloping runs up the pitch that led to dangerous chances for the hosts in the first half. Still, he fell apart after Chelsea conceded the first, incredibly failed to clear the ball in the action of the equaliser and then was hooked immediately after.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah—7.1: Pocketed Lukas Nmecha, imposing his will over the German, who didn’t have answers for Chalobah’s tight marking. Still, he’ll be frustrated he couldn’t properly clear the ball which led to the action of Leeds’ second.

LB: Marc Cucurella—6.7: With no natural winger down the left, it was Cucurella who more often than not offered depth down the flank, whipping in a couple of menacing crosses that weren’t converted. He was mysteriously hooked at the interval, raising the alarms.

DM: Moisés Caicedo—6.7: Unforgivable to gift away a penalty like that. For a player that’s been so reliable for Chelsea, tonight he was a big contributor to the Blues’ downfall.

DM: Andrey Santos—7.0: Supplied cover for the rest of Chelsea’s midfield, perfectly timed a number of interceptions and inserted himself as an extra defender when required. On the ball, he was the first pass out of the back and it was his line-breaking pass that triggered the action of the first goal. He’s thriving under Rosenior.

RW: Estêvão—7.2: Failed to make any noticeable impact, going long stretches of the match without touching the ball as Chelsea’s attack favored the left wing. A very quiet night from the talented youngster.

AM: Cole Palmer—8.8: Interchanging positions with Fernández all night, he always seemed to find space between the lines and conducted the bulk of Chelsea’s attack, setting up Pedro’s opener with a perfectly weighted pass and then dispatching yet another penalty. However, he missed a sitter in stoppage time that will haunt him for days.

LW: Enzo Fernández—7.9: The Argentine was, alongside Palmer, the focal point of Chelsea’s attack. He had a handful of stellar first touches and accurate through balls, showcasing his unique playmaking ability.

ST: João Pedro—8.0: His movement and ability to escape markers was superb once again—which was key to him winning a penalty to clinch the result—but his beautifully chipped finish was even better, the highlight of yet another stellar night for the in-form striker.

SUB: Jorrel Hato (46’ for Cucurella)—6.4: Didn’t have nearly the same impact as Cucurella had in the first half.

SUB: Pedro Neto (64’ for Estêvão)—6.3: Apart from one menacing cross, the Portuguese was a non-factor in Chelsea’s attack.

SUB: Wesley Fofana (79’ for Acheampong)—6.7: His defensive efforts weren’t needed and he just recycled possession inside Leeds’ territory during his short cameo.

SUB: Liam Delap (79’ for Santos)—6.2: Targeted a number of times in the dying minutes but could never get to the end of a cross.

Subs not used: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Benoît Badiashille, Mamadou Sarr, Marc Guiu, Alejandro Garnacho.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Cole Palmer (left) and Enzo Fernández were the masterminds behind Chelsea’s menacing attack. | Chris Lee/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

• Enzo Fernández and Palmer thrived down the left flank and the bulk of Chelsea’s attack concentrated in that area. The pair interchanged positions constantly, confusing Leeds’ defence that didn’t know who to mark, which resulted in them having plenty of space to operate. The tactical wrinkle worked well and could result in Alejandro Garnacho finding it hard to return to the lineup.
• Josh Acheampong was Chelsea’s collapse personified. The youngster has a lot of potential but when things started to unravel, he crumpled and was directly responsible for Leeds’ equaliser. Rosenior might not have the confidence to stick with the teenager in high-stakes matches.
• Rosenior’s substitutes didn’t offer any solutions from the bench and failed to have a positive impact—if at all—to try and revert the quickly worsening situation.

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The Numbers That Highlight Chelsea’s Dramatic Collapse

Cole Palmer had an unforgivable miss in stoppage time. | Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

• Leeds scored twice from two shots on goal the entire game, showcasing just how little they created in attack all evening and how little it took for Chelsea to collapse.
• Chelsea had 3.65 xG to Leeds’ 1.35, showcasing this probably should’ve been a comfortable win for Rosenior’s side. The hosts also outshot Leeds 19 to four.
• The chance Palmer missed in stoppage time had an xG of 0.87. Even after Chelsea had capitulated, they should’ve escaped with the win but their talisman failed to answer the call, adding even more frustration to the end result.

Statistic	Chelsea	Leeds
Possession	66%	34%
Expected Goals (xG)	3.65	1.35
Total Shots	19	4
Shots on Target	4	2
Big Chances	4	2
Passing Accuracy	92%	80%
Fouls Committed	9	13
Corners	4	1

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