Analyzing Chelsea’s Disastrous Recent Form
All is not well at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have won only two of their last eight matches. This is the clubs’ worst run for over a decade. Their last win in the Barclays Premier League was in the home game against Fulham on the
10th of November. The recent poor form of The Blues has become the subject of much debate all over the football world.
Following a terrible string of results in their pre-season matches, Chelsea got off to a flying start in the Premier League, winning their first five matches with an average of four goals per match. At this point, many thought
that The Blues would win the League with no problems. Before their clash against Manchester City, Roberto Mancini himself said: ‘I think Chelsea will win the Premier League as they are better than the other teams.’
Chelsea lost the match, but bounced back immediately, winning six of their next seven games. A poor showing against Liverpool at Anfield handed The Blues their second loss in the league, but Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelloti was not
worried. Yet. The alarm bells started to go off on the 14th of November. Chelsea lost at Stamford Bridge against Sunderland 0-3. This was a massive defeat. Up to that point in the season, no team had even scored at Stamford Bridge in the league.
Since that match, it’s been downhill for Chelsea. Their poor performances over the past thirty days have allowed Manchester United and Arsenal to claw their way up to the top of the table, whereas at one point, it looked as though no one would catch up with
The Blues.
There is no single reason for such a radical decline in form. Rather, it is a combination of many factors. The sudden departure of Ray Wilkins, the assistant manager, was a big blow to the club. However, his absence alone cannot
explain why the players are performing so poorly. Injuries have weakened the squad. Players like John Terry, Yuri Zhirkov and Bosingwa have missed a lot of playing time, leaving holes in the defence. Similarly, the injuries to Lampard and Benayoun means there
is a noticeable lack of creativity going forward.
The biggest problem seems to be a distinct lack of confidence on the part of the players since their drubbing at the hands of Sunderland. Since that defeat, the players look tired and confused. Without the creativity of Frank Lampard
in the midfield, Chelsea look devoid of ideas and are struggling to score. A prime example of this is Florent Malouda. He had a terrific start to the season and looked like an entirely new player. Now he is hardly making an impact at all.
It should be noted that the teams Chelsea faced at the start of the season were those that struggled to make it out of the bottom half of the table. While they couldn’t be called pushovers, they were, nevertheless, teams that a
club like Chelsea are expected to beat. December will be a decisive month for The Blues, as they go up against Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal in quick succession. However, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelloti remains positive. He said: “I am an optimist
that everything will be okay for this season.” Chelsea fans will be hoping that he is right.
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