Cole Palmer’s return to the scoresheet against Everton brought relief but little celebration. The Chelsea forward ended a 333-day scoring drought, yet he was quick to stress that the performance did not mean he is fully fit.

Palmer has been managing a muscular problem that forced him to miss Chelsea’s final two games of August after an early comeback proved premature. He then spent two-and-a-half months on the sidelines and suffered a fractured toe during that period. Those setbacks have left him short of match sharpness and reliant on careful treatment from the club’s medical staff.

“I wouldn’t say I’m at my best yet. I’m still dealing with an injury,” he told BBC’s Match of the Day this weekend. “Hopefully, it gets better and better but there’s still a bit to go.

“It is getting better. The stuff I’ve been doing with the physios at the club. It’s just a matter of not doing too much too soon. Literally, it’s just a day-by-day thing. Hopefully it gets better.”

Head coach Maresca underlined a cautious approach. When BBC’s interviewer began asking about Palmer featuring in multiple fixtures in a week, the Italian manager interjected: “At this moment, he can’t play.” On the specific question of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Cardiff City, Maresca admitted the forward would “probably not” be risked.

“We said many times with Cole we are a better team,” Maresca added. “Unfortunately he was out for many games for us, but now he’s back and for sure he will help us.”

The player’s international prospects were also mentioned after England manager Thomas Tuchel attended the game at Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen whether he will be called up this summer after Tuchel had only one camp with Palmer in 2025. Palmer downplayed the speculation, saying: “I’ve not been looking too far ahead to be honest,” and, “I’ve been injured for three months, I just need to get back to full fitness. I know what I can offer when I’m fully fit so hopefully I get there soon.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca surprised observers at his post-match press conference after the win over Everton when a routine question about Malo Gusto’s display shifted into a wider complaint about backing for his team.

Asked for his verdict on Gusto, Maresca began with praise before moving to a larger point. “We said many times that Reece [James] and Malo, they are both fullbacks and [against Everton] they were both midfielders,” he began. “So the effort, the open mind, the way they want to learn has been fantastic and this is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems, they are doing very well after a complicated week.

“Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So I’m very happy for Malo in that moment that the effort from Malo and from the rest show that they are all there and they want to help this club.”

Reporters sought clarification and Maresca reiterated the line: “Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team.” When pressed on who he meant, he said: “In general. In general.” Given the opportunity to single out fans or media, Maresca added: “I love the fans and we are very happy with the fans,” he responded.

The exchange left an awkward atmosphere and prompted speculation about behind-the-scenes tensions. The narrative around Chelsea in the three games before the Everton victory had been negative, though not unprecedentedly so. The Daily Mail reported a sense of calm from one insider despite the comments.

Maresca and his squad now turn attention to upcoming fixtures. Chelsea face Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday before travelling to Newcastle United on Saturday, where further media scrutiny appears likely.

Moisés Caicedo will be sidelined for Chelsea’s next three Premier League fixtures after receiving a straight red card in the match against Arsenal. Referee Taylor initially showed a yellow but consulted the pitch-side monitor and upgraded the decision to a red for serious foul play.

“After review, Chelsea 25, makes a challenge with excessive force and endangers the safety of the opponent, therefore my final decision is red card,” Taylor announced.

The Blues managed to secure a hard-fought point in the game, but their midfield will be without Caicedo for at least the coming fortnight. A serious foul play red card carries a minimum three-match suspension, so Caicedo will miss the following Premier League matches:

• Wednesday, Dec. 3 — Leeds United (A) — Premier League
• Saturday, Dec. 6 — Bournemouth (A) — Premier League
• Saturday, Dec. 13 — Everton (H) — Premier League

Red cards carry over between English competitions, including the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but they do not affect European tournaments. Caicedo will therefore be available for Chelsea’s Champions League trip to Atalanta on Dec. 9.

In domestic cup competition his next possible appearance could come in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal away to Cardiff City. If his suspension has been served, his first Premier League match back would be the trip to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

The Chelsea v Arsenal match at Stamford Bridge was a tight encounter and marked a third consecutive draw between the clubs at that venue. Arsenal received three yellow cards inside the opening 12 minutes, while Marc Cucurella was also booked. It was the first time on record that Arsenal were booked three times in a Premier League match inside 30 minutes, per Opta.

Caicedo’s red was his first in 130 Premier League appearances and the sending-off represented the sixth time this season that a Chelsea player had been dismissed in all competitions. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was also dismissed earlier in the campaign against Liverpool after wildly celebrating the winning goal. In the second half Piero Hincapié, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Viktor Gyökeres were cautioned, bringing the match total to eight bookings.