Cole Palmer's message to Noni Madueke and Enzo Maresca's headache in Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest game

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Chelsea saw their winning run come to an end but they remain undefeated since the opening day of the season.

Chelsea’s home form continues to be a source of concern as they were held to a 1-1 draw against a well-drilled Nottingham Forest side. Chelsea have won all their away games but have only managed one win in their four home matches—something Ezo Maresca admitted he had taken notice of, even if he didn’t think it had anything to do with the pressure of playing at home.

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He told LondonWorld after the draw at Stamford Bridge: “The fans today were unbelievable. I felt in that moment we needed a little bit more, and the fans today have been top. The reason why we won one game at home, as I’ve said many times before, I prefer to analyze the game.”

So, on what was a really entertaining yet frustrating afternoon at Stamford Bridge, here are a few things you might have missed from the game.

Palmer and Madueke have an interesting way of communicating

One of the special traits of Cole Palmer, which is very underrated, is his ability to make the game simple for his teammates. In the first half, it was clear that Noni Madueke was determined to get on the scoresheet, and Palmer was always creating the option Madueke needed to beat his man.

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After one over-hit cross from Madueke in the first half, Palmer, unlike many players, signalled and encouraged him instead of complaining, which likely boosted Madueke’s confidence and eventually led to the goal the winger scored. Unsurprisingly, they were the two who combined for Chelsea’s equaliser eight minutes after Nottingham Forest had taken the lead.

Sancho had the beating of Aina but didn’t have the pace to match it

One of the things that was exciting and frustrating in equal measure during the game was that Jadon Sancho could easily beat his man but then slowed down, which allowed Ola Aina to get back into the play. I think this was down to instructions, but he didn’t even seem interested in taking the shot, even if he cut in and there was an angle—instead, he’d look to pass, which retained possession.

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This was the first game where the former Manchester United player did not get an assist, and it’s fair to say this was the only match where he looked slightly underwhelming since he signed in the summer.

Maresca wasn’t happy with the game being like a basketball match

Once Chelsea equalised, the adrenaline in the team was very high, and Chelsea smelled blood, wanting to go for the win. However, it was clear the Chelsea boss wasn’t too happy with the pace at which his team was playing and pressed them to slow down the buildup from the back, only quickening things once they got into midfield.

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In the end, it didn’t matter as Forest had a man sent off, and Chelsea pushed to try to get the winner without success. It was also fascinating to see Maresca reminding the players—especially in that first half—to always keep the width, Sancho mainly as he was closest to him.

The Chelsea manager highlighted in his press conference that Forest barely had a chance in that first half. In the end, Chelsea dropped points, but considering they lost this same fixture last season, they may view this as a point gained instead of two dropped.

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