Chelsea 2-2 Leeds: Blue Blunders at the Back Threw away Chelsea's two-goal lead

Joao Pedro [Left] balancing the ball on his head and holding off Jaka. Bijol [Right]. Photo via: Nick Potts/PA via AP

Chelsea held to a draw at Stamford Bridge by Leeds in the Premier League despite their two-goal advantage.

A trend that has become increasingly apparent under Liam Rosenior, this was another game of two halves for the Blues. In the first half, there was clear confidence from the home side carried over from their win at Wolverhampton over the weekend. The interplay between the players was smooth and slick, as they moved the ball across the pitch like a game of pinball around the visitors’ defence. However, after Cole Palmer converted a penalty early in the 2^nd half, the tempo dropped, and individual errors allowed Chelsea to throw away a two-goal lead, ending the match in a stalemate.

Leeds approached the game with caution, as they lined up with a 5 men in the back line in an attempt to stop the in-form Joao Pedro. This effort proved futile after the Brazilian talisman opened the scoring in the 24^th minute of the match. Palmer picked up the ball in acres of space and guided a through ball into the path of Pedro. The striker took the ball into his stride to go one-on-one with Karl Darlow. A deft and audacious dink over the Magpies’ goalkeeper nestled in the back of the net to break the deadlock.

Early into the second half, Leeds defender Jaka Bijol let his frustration get the better of him to the detriment of his own team. The Slovenian clumsily pushed Pedro in the back whilst in his own box to give away a penalty in the 58^th minute. Palmer, as usual, calmly converted the ball from the spot to double the home side’s lead.

Daniel Farke’s side responded positively to the second goal as Chelsea seemingly took their foot off the gas. Leeds were rewarded for their efforts in the 67^th minute as an uncharacteristically poor-timed tackle from Moises Caicedo on Jayden Bogle gave the visitors a penalty. Lukas Nmecha made no mistake from the spot and gave Farke’s team a sizeable lifeline.

In the 73^rd minute, Leeds scored the equaliser from what can only be described as a calamity of errors from the Chelsea backline. Trevoh Chalaboh first attempted and failed to intercept an aerial pass, Josh Acheampong then made the fatal error of trying to leave the ball for Robert Sanchez, which gave Bogle the perfect opportunity to steal the ball from the young defender. The ball is pushed out from Bogle to Noah Okafor to tap in the equaliser into an empty net.

Outside of the terrible defending, the goal itself has been seen as contentious, as Bogle did handle the ball in the buildup to the goal. The officials deemed the play to be legal as it touched his thigh first, therefore making it accidental. However, it should be argued that had Bogle not used his arm, he would have been unable to control the ball and continue the attack. This does not excuse the poor manner in which Chelsea conceded, but it should encourage the PGMOL to assess their rules regarding handball.

Before the full-time whistle, Rosenior’s side had one last flutter of life. In the dying embers of the game, a well-worked movement between Malo Gusto and Caicedo led to a well-placed cross into Leeds six yard box. At the end of this cross was the one man every Chelsea fan would trust to score, Palmer. Consequently, in a literal hands-on-head moment, the England star blasts over from less than five yards out. No one in the stadium was more surprised than Palmer himself, who froze in the net with shock and awe.

As the full-time whistle blew, the atmosphere at the Bridge was deflated as Chelsea dropped points in the Premier League for the first time under Rosenior. That being said, the result came at the cost of individual mistakes and errors, whether it was Caicedo’s miscalculated tackle, Acheampong’s failed attempt to clear the ball, or Palmer’s miss of the season. Chelsea were their own worst enemy.

The single point has firmly placed the Blues fifth in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester United and five ahead of struggling Liverpool. Not one to remember for Chelsea fans, however, with their next two games against Hull in the FA Cup and Burnley in the Premier League, these games should act as a perfect opportunity to get two wins under their belt and put this match out of memory.