Chelsea ratings: Cole Palmer single-handedly turns final around as Malo Gusto is hauled off after first half horror show
One Chelsea sub added much needed stability to their display
PALM SPRINGS Chelsea ratings: Cole Palmer single-handedly turns final around as Malo Gusto is hauled off after first half horror show
COLE PALMER delivered two golden moments to dig Chelsea out of trouble and deliver their American owners a first trophy.
The Blues were trailing to Abde Ezzalzouli's shock opener, which set the tone for a terrible first half from Enzo Maresca's men.
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Chelsea stars celebrate winning the Conference League
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But after steadying themselves just before the break, Chelsea finally got their act together and turned this final around to truly win it all.
Palmer delivered a succulent cross for Enzo Fernandez to flick home a leveller on 66 minutes.
Moments later he bamboozled Jesus Rodriguez to turn in behind and cross for Jackson, who tried to head home but converted with his chest.
Betis had shown plenty of fight and heart in the first half, but looked incapable of coming back.
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They were killed off by substitute Jadon Sancho, who whipped home a fine curling finish on 83 minutes before Moises Caicedo stretched Chelsea further ahead in injury time.
Here is how SunSport rated the Blues…
Filip Jorgensen – 6
Maresca gave Jorgensen a show of faith by declaring he would start this final, after a season of flip-flopping between the sticks.
There was little the goalkeeper could have done about Ezzalzouli's goal, though he responded with a fine save to deny a fierce Marc Bartra shot minutes later.
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Filip Jorgensen was in for Robert Sanchez in goal
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Malo Gusto - 3
The Frenchman was selected to start ahead of skipper Reece James – a decision Maresca corrected at half-time by hooking Gusto.
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Gusto gifted the ball to Betis in the build-up to Ezzalzouli's fine opener, and it was a mistake which seemed to rattle the right-back.
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There were more mistakes to come, including completely missing a heavy touch by Ezzalzouli which almost cost another goal.
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Malo Gusto struggled during the first half before being hooked
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Trevoh Chalobah – 6
Given how the defender was treated at the start of the season, brutally told to find himself a loan elsewhere, it is remarkable that Chalobah was even here.
He took a whack to the face inside the first minute but recovered to put in a solid enough display, growing into the game and showing his ability on the ball.
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Trevoh Chalobah has established himself at Chelsea since returning from Palace
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Benoit Badiashile – 5
Badiashile was replaced early in the second half after picking up a silly booking for complaining to the referee.
That was about the only thing of note from his performance, with the Blues struggling to hold back the Betis forwards throughout a ragged first half.
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Benoit Badiashile challenges Real Betis veteran Isco
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Marc Cucurella – 7
Everyone had earmarked Antony as Real Betis' biggest threat going into this final.
Given his form, Cucurella was told to stay firmly in position, rather than drifting into midfield as the Spaniard usually does.
And he stuck to his task doggedly, restricting Antony to a fringe role in Wroclaw.
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Marc Cucurella easily dealt with Man Utd loanee Antony
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Moises Caicedo - 7
The £115million midfielder struggled to get a grip on the mesmeric Isco throughout a rotten first half.
Isco ran rings around the Chelsea midfield, with Caicedo resorting to shoving the Spaniard before wiping him out.
Caicedo found his feet after the break to bring some much needed composure and control after the break – key to slowing down Betis and getting Chelsea back into the game.
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He capped a superb individual season with an instinctive finish from the edge of the box.
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Moises Caicedo fires home Chelsea's fourth
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Enzo Fernandez - 7
Fernandez was started in the more advanced role ahead of Caicedo, but it took him a bit of time to get going.
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However, with Chelsea offering precious little quality in the final third it was the man who started the night as captain who delivered. Fernandez's run behind Bartra was perfectly timed and he met Palmer's cross with a very well placed header.
Fernandez kept going late on, too. The World Cup winner drove at the Betis defence before teeing up Caicedo's strike.
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Enzo Fernandez equalised for the Blues
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Noni Madueke - 6
Struggled to create too much going forwards, probing with the odd run which did not lead to much.
However, given he spent most of the game on the right with either Gusto or James moving into midfield – the winger had a lot on his hands defensively.
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Noni Madueke didn't have one of his more lively outings
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Cole Palmer – 8
The man who rescued Chelsea once again.
There may have been a big margin by the end but Palmer's magic moments which turned this game.
Palmer showed some promise early on but there would have been fears from the Chelsea end that he was fading after that – though he dispelled them across five fantastic minutes in the second half
That was until the England man delivered a sublime cross to get the Blues back into the game.
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He then followed it up with an even better assist, wonderfully drawing in and rolling Betis sub Jesus Rodriguez before delivering a cross which, despite his best efforts to screw it up, Jackson could not miss.
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Cole Palmer was in brilliant creative form
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Pedro Neto - 4
The Portuguese winger started out on the right before switching to the left flank, but offered precious little wherever he was playing.
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There was plenty of hustle and bustle whenever the ball came his way, but nothing in the way of quality before he was replaced just after the hour mark.
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Pedro Neto wasn't effective on the wing for Chelsea
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Nicolas Jackson – 7
This more than made up for the red card at Newcastle.
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Jackson worked hard throughout a tricky first half for a striker starved of service, continuing to try and get in behind the Betis defence.
He was in the right place at the right time, a trait of all good strikers, to bundle in the winner.
Jackson should have had one more when clean through on the break but took a heavy touch which allowed Adrian to intervene.
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Nicolas Jackson fired the Blues into the lead
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Substitutes
Reece James (Gusto, 45') – 6
Added some much needed stability to Chelsea's right hand side, despite a tricky start to the second half.
Chelsea were all over the place when Gusto was on the pitch, but there was none of that after the break.
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Jadon Sancho (Neto, 61') – 7
Added some spark and pace to the Chelsea attack, which had hardly threatened the Betis back line for the most part.
Sancho, whose future is still to be determined, needed a statement to sign off with this season and delivered a fine finish to offer a reminder of why he was in the Champions League final this time last year.
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Levi Colwill (Badiashile, 61') – 6
The Blues academy graduate was desperate to win his first trophy with the club and will have been disappointed
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Jackson, 80') – 7
Showed plenty of energy and endeavour to charge forward and tee up Sancho's goal – killing off any hopes of a late Betis leveller.
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Marc Guiu (Palmer, 87') – n/a
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