Chelsea must rethink defense after Palace draw

A look at Mamadou Sarr’s strong start at Strasbourg while Chelsea struggle at home, raising questions about defense and how the club plans to address it.

Sarr on loan highlights defense gaps after Palace draw

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace on the opening day, a result that underscored issues in attack and defence after a shortened pre-season. The team managed only three shots on target, and the absence of Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo at centre-back left a clear gap in the rearguard. The omission of Liam Delap in the final third also left Chelsea lacking physical presence in the box.

On the same day, Strasbourg opened their Ligue 1 campaign with a 1-0 win over Metz behind a standout display from Mamadou Sarr. The loanee played all 90 minutes, won 6 of 7 duels, made eight recoveries, completed 81 of 84 passes, and delivered seven passes into the final third, contributing to a clean sheet. The contrast with Chelsea’s day highlights how important the final third and ball progression from defence can be.

The recap of Sarr’s outing is a reminder of what Maresca may be missing when the full squad is healthy. The club hopes the promising form of the on-loan defender will influence how it thinks about its own backline, even if Sarr cannot be called back this season. Meanwhile, Acheampong started again in a backline experimenting with options, as Chelsea faces an immediate test against West Ham to kick off their campaign properly.

The story here runs deeper than one match. It exposes how a squad with a compact summer schedule can still falter when key pieces are unavailable. It also throws into relief a tension that often sits behind the scenes at big clubs: how much of the plan depends on players outside the first team and how ownership groups influence transfer and squad philosophy. The Sarr showcase in Strasbourg pulls at a thread for Chelsea, inviting fans to weigh the value of developing youth and relying on loan assets against the immediacy of recruiting proven defenders. The coming weeks will test whether internal fixes and academy-led patience can offset the gaps created by injuries and a congested calendar.

Highlights

The season will hinge on how Chelsea translates lessons from loan performances into a durable plan at home.