Cole Palmer made his first appearance in over two months for Chelsea but couldn’t stop his error-prone team from suffering a brutal defeat against Leeds United at Elland Road. The west Londoners experienced their first league loss since October with the hosts proving too strong for them on Wednesday evening. Jaka Bijol netted Leeds’ opening goal after being picked out by Anton Stach’s corner just six minutes into the game.
Later in the first half, Ao Tanaka beat Robert Sanchez from the edge of the box to send Elland Road into ecstasy. Pedro Neto, introduced as a half-time substitute, pulled one back for Chelsea straight after the interval with a close-range finish.With just over 15 minutes of regular time left, Tosin Adarabioyo handed possession to Leeds inside his own area and Dominic Calvert-Lewin slotted home to seal the victory.
Here are the Chelsea player ratings from a forgettable night in Yorkshire…
Chelsea player ratings vs Leeds United
Robert Sanchez – 5
Distribution was subpar, which is disappointing considering his recent improvement. Could do nothing about the first two goals. Contested for the third but was put in real trouble by Tosin.
Trevoh Chalobah – 5
Started at right-back. Struggled there and moved to the centre at half-time, where he unsurprisingly looked more comfortable.
Tosin Adarabioyo – 3
Looked very shaky early on and struggled to cope with the physicality Leeds were displaying. Terrible for Leeds’ third. Lethargic in possession and punished.
Benoit Badiashile – 4
His first Premier League start in nearly two months. A few misplaced passes early on. Substituted at half-time.
Marc Cucurella – 6
One of Chelsea’s better performers, although that doesn’t say much considering the overall team performance.
Andrey Santos – 5
Stepped in for Moises Caicedo in what was always going to be a challenging match. Made a few notable interceptions. A tough game for the Brazilian midfielder.
Enzo Fernandez – 4
Really poor for Tanaka’s goal. Careless with the ball and handed Leeds possession in a very dangerous position. Overall, he was far from his best.
Estevao Willian – 5
Chelsea struggled to involve him in an attacking capacity. For the second match running, he was substituted at half-time.
Joao Pedro – 5
Largely invisible. A couple of miscontrols and sloppy when Chelsea needed more precision.
Jamie Gittens – 5
Continually tried to challenge Jayden Bogle down Chelsea’s left flank. However, he lacked the final product.
Liam Delap – 4
Chelsea could have benefited from their No. 9 retaining the ball better in the early stages when they were under pressure. His hold-up play is usually one of his strengths, but it was lacking at times.
Substitutes
Pedro Neto – 7
Scored immediately after coming on. Took his chance really well. A genuine bright spot for the Blues.
Malo Gusto – 5
Performed well coming on in difficult circumstances. A bit frantic at times but eventually settled into the game.
Cole Palmer – 5
It was fantastic to see him return. Should have performed better 69 minutes into the game after being set up by Alejandro Garnacho.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6
Appeared confident. Probably should have had an assist for Palmer in the 69th minute.
Marc Guiu – n/a
Had some playing time but failed to make a significant impact.