Cole Palmer's missed penalty against Leicester City was his 13th spot kick in the Premier League and was the first time he failed to convert, which ended the best 100% success record from the spot in the competition's history.
The Blues narrowly beat Leicester 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon in their 28th Premier League game of the season thanks to Marc Cucurella's 60th-minute winner.
The game might have been more comfortable had Palmer managed to score his penalty in the 22nd minute, but the England international's shot was poorly struck, and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was able to make a comfortable save to his left.
Chelsea ended the day in fourth place with 49 points and are only two behind third-placed Nottingham Forest, but Champions League qualification is by no means guaranteed given just seven points separate them from 10th-placed Fulham.
With Palmer in poor form, the Blues will be concerned that the team will drop points in the final stages of the season, and there is a chance that they could miss out on Europe entirely.
13 - Cole Palmer has missed a Premier League penalty for the first time with today's the 13th he has taken, ending the best 100% success record from the spot in the competition in the process. Unlucky. pic.twitter.com/7zWs4fmj6K
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 9, 2025
Can Chelsea qualify for the Champions League?
While Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will only care about his side securing all three points, he will be concerned that his team struggled against Leicester, who had lost 11 of their 12 league games prior to their clash at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps more alarming for Maresca will be the fact that talisman Palmer has struggled considerably in recent weeks, with the attacker having last found the back of the net on January 14.
In fact, the 22-year-old has not provided a goal or an assist in his last nine appearances for the Londoners, and his team lost four times in that period.
The situation up front has been made worse by the fact that striker Nicolas Jackson and winger Noni Madueke are not scheduled to return until next month.
Chelsea have won their last two games in the Premier League, but both matches came against the division's bottom two sides, and the club face difficult tests against London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in their next two top-flight fixtures.
Unless Palmer returns to form, it is difficult to see Chelsea distancing themselves from the chasing pack, and it would not be surprising if they dropped points in the next weeks.
Lewis Nolan
