“Today he showed how good he is” - Enzo Maresca names best Chelsea player from 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has named Josh Acheampong as the best player for his team in their 1-1 Premier League draw against Crystal Palace. The Blues visited Selhurst Park today (December 4), where they notably scored first, with Cole Palmer finding the goal in the 14th minute.

However, after many long minutes, the hosts found the equalizer through Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 82nd minute. The Blues were unable to add another goal on the day, eventually sharing the spoils.

After the game, Enzo Maresca was asked about his thoughts on young defender Joshua Acheampong, who played the full 90 minutes in his first-ever Premier League game. The manager admitted that the 18-year-old provided an impressive performance, telling the press (via Football.London):

"All the players, for me, were good today but if I had to decide for one, Josh was the best player. He can be a top player for this club. We decided today because we saw he was ready. Today he showed how good he is.

"Even if we don't decide to buy players, or sell players; we already knew Josh was good enough. But with Benoit and Wesley's injuries, we will see if something can happen."

During the match, Achaempong held down the fort well and aided Chelsea's possession play well with 88 touches of the ball and 10 passes into the final third.

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Enzo Maresca shares his thoughts on Chelsea's draw against Crystal Palace

Enzo Maresca has shared his thoughts on Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, with the Blues dropping points in their first game of 2025. It has been a rather problematic run of form for the west London club in recent league games, going four without a win.

Asked about the draw, Enzo Maresca told the press (via Football.London):

"We did enough to win the game today. Between the first and second-halves we created enough chances to win the game but we need to be clinical. Unfortunately at the end, we conceded but overall I think we did enough to win the game.

"Two weeks ago, three weeks ago, we were talking about the title race. We knew that Newcastle and Villa would be there, City too. For me, it's not about the table but how we can improve things."

Chelsea will return to Stamford Bridge for their next match against Morecambe in the FA Cup on January 11. They will be widely expected to win that game. Their next big test comes at the Stamford Bridge on January 14, when they face Bournemouth in the Premier League.