Premier League title race: Chelsea shoot themselves in the foot
Near the end of October, Chelsea and Carlo Ancelotti were riding high at the summit of the Premier League with a big gap between them and title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal. But November has proved a tormenting month for the champions, a month where
they lost to a Fernando Torres inspired Liverpool, a collective spirited Sunderland and a resilient Birmingham City. The backside of November must have been a good notion for Carlo Ancelotti, but the start of December hasn't been something to excessively cheer
about either.
Five points out of a possible eighteen is hardly the hallmark of champions, it is the dilemma of a struggling side, one that cannot seem to find the goal and cannot seem to keep itself watertight at the back. And these aforementioned traits aren't something
you'd normally associate with Chelsea. For this is the same team that started the season with great panache, a team that scored for fun, that defended with immense ease, one that looked comfortable and unthreatened throughout the park. The same Chelsea that
hadn't conceded a single goal at Stamford Bridge for nine games until that mauling by Sunderland, where Onouha, Gyan and Welback humiliated the defence and showed the world how reliant Chelsea really are on the central defensive pairing of John Terry and Alex.
Chelsea's latest setback came at home against an Everton side who are having a tough time of their own, sitting below the mid table position and really struggling to find any kind of form and goals. Chelsea took the lead when Anelka barged straight into
Tim Howard with the Frenchman going on goal. The referee somehow decided it was Howard's fault, that he had fouled Anelka. He also received a yellow card for his troubles, and Didier Drogba buried the penalty to give the home side the lead.
Then four minutes from time, substitute Jermain Beckford scored for Everton to rescue a well deserved point from a sinking Chelsea. Chelsea couldn't believe it, and their fans had had enough as they booed the team off the pitch at the final whistle.
Chelsea's dire debacle has given Arsenal and Manchester United a chance to rejuvenate their seasons, a season where they too have performed far from their best and have had to deal with major injuries to integral squad members like Cesc Fabregas, Thomas
Vermaelen and Robin Van Persie for Arsenal, and Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs for United. But both clubs have now profited from Chelsea's major slip up, Arsenal now sit in pole position with thirty two points. Manchester United are second with
thirty one points and Chelsea third with thirty. So you can imagine what a tight title race this season is shaping up to be. And United still have a game in hand, due to a postponement of their match against Blackpool because of frozen pitch, and if they win
it they will go top with thirty four points, two above Arsenal and four above Chelsea. And to think that only a month ago Chelsea had an eight point lead at the top.
But surely even a four point deficit isn't insurmountable for a team of Chelsea's undeniable class. And if Chelsea can just get back to winning ways in their next three matches where they face Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Arsenal in quick succession
then who’s to stop them from steamrolling to the top.
Tags: