We’ve reached the midway level of the Premier League season, and it’s been a usually fascinating and unpredictable one for Chelsea and their followers.
There have been quite a lot of opinions about how the Blues would get on this season, however even essentially the most optimistic of pundits didn’t have them doing so nicely that they’d the prospect to high the desk at Christmas.
Sadly Enzo Maresca’s males blinked within the face of such lofty aspirations and drew at struggling Everton. Then within the three video games since they’ve acquired worse relatively than recovering their type – a defeat to Fulham, a defeat to Ipswich, then a draw with Crystal Palace to make it 4 and not using a win.
They’re nonetheless clinging on to a spot within the high 4, however any discuss of title aspirations are lengthy gone. Liverpool, who might have been overtaken on that fateful night time at Goodison Park, at the moment are a full 8 factors and a recreation in hand clear.
Nonetheless, a title race was by no means sensible. Maresca mentioned it himself many instances. So what are Chelsea’s actual goals this season? A have a look at odds – and you may learn extra right here – present that the Blues are nonetheless closely favoured to make the Champions League locations. In fact they’re helped by the truth that there are more likely to be 5 groups from the Premier League who qualify this 12 months.
We might agree with the bookies on that – we’ve seen sufficient from this crew to assume they’ll get again into gear and begin successful once more. However there are additionally causes to be nervous.
Chelsea haven’t simply had some unfortunate outcomes, they’ve been measurably worse on this poor run, going by the stats. Dropping Wesley Fofana to harm has harm them each defensively and in with the ability to play larger up the pitch. Romeo Lavia’s harm points haven’t helped maintain the midfield recent both.
Then there’s the competitors – Nottingham Forest seem like the true deal. They’re not only a harmful crew to play, they’re a real risk to make the highest 4 now. The identical goes for Newcastle, who all of a sudden look an amazing crew once more now Sandro Tonali is again of their midfield. Bournemouth have misplaced a few key gamers to harm this week, however they’re adequate to trigger anybody bother – as we’ll discover out in our subsequent Premier League recreation.
So whereas the highest 4 (and even 5) ought to nonetheless be our goal – the previous few weeks present that nothing may be taken with no consideration.
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