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What Enzo Maresca shouted at Mykhailo Mudryk speaks volumes for Chelsea after Cole Palmer show

Chelsea attackers Jadon Sancho and Cole Palmer celebrate
-Credit: (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)


Spare a thought, perhaps, for Christopher Nkunku. His only Chelsea start has come in Enzo Maresca's sole Premier League defeat this season. Six games in and there isn't a clear role for him.

Why? Well, the last two weeks do a pretty good job of explaining that. Nicolas Jackson got Chelsea two early goals away to West Ham, setting up a comfortable afternoon. He also assisted Cole Palmer in the second half for a third.

The other reason is right there: Palmer. Already ahead of Nkunku in the pecking order heading into the season due to a debut campaign for the ages (22 league goals, 11 more assists), he has started under Maresca like an animal.

After a hat-trick of assists against Wolves on the second weekend, he went a step further and scored four against Brighton. All in one half. He became the first player in Premier League history to do it. It took him less than ten minutes to get the three that made up a hat-trick and turn the game on its head.

So that's what Nkunku, a guy with nine goals in just 22 Chelsea appearances (and four starts) is up against. Not really due to any fault of his own, he is second fiddle. It is hard to argue.

On the face of it though, this is crazy. Nkunku arrived at Chelsea and immediately became the best player. He is perhaps still the most efficient finisher in the squad. Before Palmer exploded, he was almost certainly the most established player in the group across Europe.

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If he can't find a defined and regular spot on the starting XI then what chance do the others have? Jadon Sancho is a more natural left-sided player and has three direct assists plus a penalty won in his first three matches. Sancho is a winger whereas Nkunku is still a second striker or No.10 able to link player better than almost anyone, make the right decisions more often than not, and score at a remarkable rate.

To start Nkunku Maresca has several options. On one hand he can simply put Nkunku up front or on the left in place of Jackson or Palmer. This is the way that requires least change and tends to be the option from the bench.

What Chelsea lose with this is that Jackson and Palmer are the most deadly duo in the league since the start of last season. Their connection is incredible and even though Nkunku is smart enough, sharp enough, and good enough, it would take time to form that sort of relationship with others.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, sort of thing. Chelsea, even without Nkunku, are winning games and have far too much going forward for most opposition. Plus, in Nkunku they may well have the best super sub in the league.

Then, quickly, on the left Nkunku has looked his least involved for Chelsea. He is too far away from the action and has a full-back less likely to overlap in Marc Cucurella, which would be necessary if Nkunku did drift inside.

The final choice is to move Palmer to the right, where he nominally started for Mauricio Pochettino last season before essentially going onto do whatever he wanted and wherever he wanted. By the end of the season he was a genuine No.10. Maresca has also used him slightly deeper as an attacking No.8, providing an unflappable way through the midfield and into the forwards.

Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer
Even by Cole Palmer's standards, this was one of his best games for Chelsea -Credit:Bradley Collyer/PA Wire

If Palmer was shifted right then Noni Madueke (the least in form of the attackers despite his goals at Wolves), would be dropped. Malo Gusto is on hand to provide width which theoretically allows Palmer to join Nkunku in the middle, behind Jackson.

This is not impossible to imagine, even if Madueke is the direct type. one-on-one type of winger Maresa enjoys using. But with a winning formula, why change?

And wider than this, what hope for the others? Joao Felix cost over £40million and has already been relegated to the midweek XI. In truth he hasn't had the chance to become anything more yet. Pedro Neto is a go-to substitute in the Premier League but is so far another who is looking at Conference League and Carabao Cup football to be his main fix.

Mykhailo Mudryk isn't really getting anything. He came on against Brighton over Felix but after Neto as a source of pace to exploit the Brighton high line on Saturday. His most notable moment was straying offside during a counter-attack, not getting back into position and then being shouted at by Maresca.

"Misha, Misha," he screamed across the pitch to the winger. It is evidence of the work that still needs to be done with Mudryk to get him ready for even brief cameos.

Last week the head coach revealed that Mudryk was part of a group doing extra training sessions to try and get himself more aligned with the demands placed on him. Ahead of the win against West Ham he simply said, "Misha is Misha, you have to accept the way he is. Hopefully he can get minutes and do better.”

The appearance against Brighton certainly didn't look like it was close to getting himself into Maresca's plans. Then again, if Nkunku can't find a place then it's going to be tough for anyone else.