
On Wednesday night, Chelsea secured a top eight passage in the UEFA Champions League with a 3-2 win against Napoli and former manager Antonio Conte in Naples.
Liam Rosenior's side finished the league phase in 6th place, joining four other Premier League sides in the top eight. It was not the most dramatic game of the night, but it was an entertaining affair and a seriously vital win.
So, let's look at the three biggest positives from the night.
To begin, it cannot be stressed enough how important it was to avoid the two extra games. Had Chelsea finished between 9th and 24th, they would have been involved in a two-legged playoff.
Had this happened, Rosenior would not have had a free week until March. A new manager needs to have free weeks on the training ground to get their ideas across. If you are playing every three days, then the days between games are mostly spent resting, recovering, and travelling.
Second, the link-up between Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro was incredibly exciting. The two linked up for both of the Blues' goals in the second half, after the former was introduced at the break.
Sure, the first Pedro goal was more of an incredible strike from outside the box than anything else, but the second goal was a superb bit of creativity from Palmer to set his counterpart up, and it is something many hope we will see much more of moving forward.
How great would it be if the Englishman was fit to start against West Ham United on Saturday evening?
Nevertheless, if he is not 100% fit, he shouldn't be named in the XI. There have already been far too many games without Palmer this season; it would be foolish to risk that becoming more frequent.
Plus, he clearly showed in Naples that he can make an impact off the bench. So, it is crucial to ensure his return to the first team is carefully and consciously managed.
Last but not least, Rosenior's adaptability was seriously refreshing to see. Truth be told, he got the initial setup wrong, perhaps an example of overthinking. The changes to bring Jamie Gittens and Trevoh Chalobah on and to change shape helped swing the game back in Chelsea's favour.
One of the biggest criticisms of Enzo Maresca was his stubbornness and unwillingness to change things when they weren't going well. We have seen Rosenior adapt and fix his mistakes in game, which bodes well for the future.
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