After their first loss since August to Liverpool last weekend, Chelsea bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United. Though not an easy win, strong performances from key players like Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto ensured Chelsea secured the three points, keeping them in fourth place, just one point behind Arsenal in the title race.
While most of the squad performed well enough to keep their spots, a few players, including Noni Madueke, did not impress.
Why Madueke Should Be Dropped
Although Madueke has generally been impressive this season, scoring five goals in ten appearances and securing a starting role, his performance against Newcastle was disappointing both offensively and defensively.
In the 67 minutes he played, Madueke registered an expected goals (xG) of 0.08 and expected assists (xA) of 0.18. He completed just one of his two dribbles, failed two of his three crosses, and lost possession ten times. He also struggled in duels, winning only two of eight, and was dribbled past once, leaving right-back Malo Gusto exposed at times. His underwhelming performance earned a 5/10 rating from journalist Lloyd Canfield, who noted Madueke was outperformed by Pedro Neto.
Despite his importance to Chelsea this season, Madueke’s lackluster display suggests he may be better off starting from the bench in the next match.
Why Robert Sanchez Should Be Dropped
Although Robert Sanchez has shown some improvement this season, he was arguably Chelsea’s weakest performer against Newcastle. While he avoided any major mistakes, his discomfort on the ball was evident, and he nearly put his teammates in difficult positions.
Critics were harsh, with Canfield rating Sanchez a 3/10 and calling him a “liability,” while Bobby Vincent of football.london described his performance as “poor,” particularly due to his passing accuracy of just 50%. Sanchez misdirected 19 of his 24 long balls, was dribbled past once, and lost his only ground duel. Given his inconsistency, Maresca might want to give Filip Jørgensen his Premier League debut against Manchester United on Sunday.