Nottingham Forest
Nuno Espírito Santo Says He Thinks Kylian Mbappe £47m Deal Would Not Go Wrong
Despite naming an unchanged side from the win against Brighton, Chelsea were unable to repeat the result when they face Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Blues were held to a 1-1 draw, with them getting back into the game as a result of Noni Madueke’s excellent display.
The winger seemed to send a message to Enzo Maresca with his goal celebration, with him no doubt under pressure from the likes of Pedro Neto for a place in the side.
Maresca reaped the rewards of keeping the faith in Madueke, something he also offered to Jadon Sancho after his impressive form in recent weeks.
Until yesterday, the England international had registered an assist in every game since his loan move from Manchester United was confirmed.
Cascarino says Jadon Sancho was too safe against Nottingham Forest
The game against Forest was a bit of a frustrating one for Sancho, with a lot of his good work not really leading to too much in front of goal.
Tony Cascarino was left wanting more from the winger, with him telling The Times that he thought he was a bit too safe in possession.
He said: “There is no question Sancho is a good player, and his touch is almost always really sound, but he plays such a conservative game. He never got into a physical battle with Aina and never tried to take him on. Sancho is not slow but he doesn’t have that burst of acceleration to get at defenders.
“It was such a contrast to Noni Madueke on the other wing: he was going at his full back all game, and it always felt like a battle for Forest to contain him. Madueke is way more direct than Sancho, he gets to the byline and always looks to take on his defender.
“Sancho needs to get a bit stronger, and try to develop so that he can have a more significant change of pace. That will allow him to keep a defender guessing — at the moment, the full back knows there is very little chance of him trying to get to the byline.
“I appreciate that not every winger has to play the same way to be a success, and Sancho caused Forest problems at times with his positioning and how he played on the ball, but I was just left wanting more from him. He’s 24 and mature, he’s no teenager anymore.”
Competition for wing places at Chelsea
The competition for places out wide is really strong at Chelsea at the moment, with Mykhailo Mudryk another player who is fighting for minutes as he looks to save his career at the club.
Maresca has frequently claimed that he is a big fan of Sancho, and was delighted with his addition as another option to the attack.
The obligation to buy for around £25m is almost certain to be activated, with him really impressing so far in a Chelsea shirt.
However, supporters are waiting patiently for him to find the net for the first time for his new club, with the pressure always there from other attackers to take his place if the opportunity arises.
