This season has been irritating for many Chelsea followers, to say the least. These younger gamers create loads of probabilities, dominate possession, and often discover themselves in goal-scoring positions—however the ending simply hasn’t been there.
For a squad of 60 gamers valued at a billion, that’s a major problem. All that possession, all these openings, but nothing to point out for it.
Identical Outdated Issues
The current 0-1 loss on the Emirates was yet one more reminder that Chelsea can dominate possession all day lengthy however nonetheless come away with nothing.
With the worldwide break providing a reset, Chelsea’s conflict towards Tottenham at Stamford Bridge is essential—drop extra factors, and their Champions League hopes take a critical hit.
In response to non GamStop bookies, Chelsea are 4/6 to win at dwelling, with a draw at 18/5 and Tottenham at 10/3 to take all of the factors. A set whole of three.5 targets, with 20/21 on the over, present that this might go both approach, however for Chelsea, there’s just one acceptable end result—profitable.
Extra Than Simply the Strikers
Chelsea’s goal-scoring points don’t begin and finish with the strikers. The midfield has been simply as responsible, providing little by way of attacking output.
Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and Lavia are all proficient, however none of them convey the facility, drive, or objective menace that the likes of Lampard, Ballack, Essien, or Mikel as soon as offered.
Bodily, they may by no means dominate video games, and creatively, they simply can’t provide sufficient leading edge. With out a midfielder who can break strains, drive ahead, and chip in with targets, Chelsea will maintain struggling to show possession into actual menace.
Tactical Changes Wanted
Enzo Maresca’s tactical setup has allowed Chelsea to create probabilities, however there are nonetheless flaws in how they method the ultimate third. Too typically, Chelsea’s attackers rush their pictures or fail to choose the suitable possibility when below strain.
Motion off the ball is one other situation. Palmer persistently finds himself in harmful areas, however the remainder of the assault lacks the identical sharpness.
Photograph by Visionhaus through Getty Photographs
There’s no true poacher within the squad—Jackson has the bodily attributes however doesn’t but have the intuition of a prime striker.
Maresca has experimented with totally different approaches, sometimes pushing Palmer centrally or tweaking Neto’s position, however fixed changes gained’t repair the issue. Chelsea want a extra outlined attacking construction, one which maximizes their xG and turns dominance into targets.
The probabilities are there—it’s time to begin ending them.
The Defensive Influence on Attacking Play
One other issue that may’t be ignored is Chelsea’s protection. Simply have a look at the backline and be actual—there isn’t a single participant who would have made it into Abramovich’s Chelsea.
Badiashile and Fofana have their moments however lack management. Chilwell and Reece James battle with accidents, whereas Chalobah, for all his love for the membership, isn’t on the stage required to compete on the very prime.
With a backline like this, it’s no marvel all the workforce seems to be shaky.
When defenders can’t be relied upon, the whole lot else collapses. The midfield performs with hesitation, the assault lacks confidence, and as a substitute of urgent excessive and dominating, Chelsea spend an excessive amount of time masking gaps.
Within the Abramovich period, the protection was a fortress—Terry, Carvalho, Cole, and prime Ivanović didn’t simply cease targets, they dictated the sport. Proper now, there’s no presence, no concern issue, and no stability.
If Chelsea need to compete, they want 5 skilled gamers—leaders who can take management, manage the backline, and set the muse for the workforce to assault with confidence.
In any other case, it doesn’t matter what number of xG they rack up; and not using a strong protection, they’ll at all times be chasing video games as a substitute of profitable them.
The Street Forward
All membership legends have mentioned the identical factor—this Chelsea squad lacks management. It’s an immature workforce filled with potential however lacking the expertise and mentality to regulate video games in key moments.
Nkunku, Sancho, Madueke, and Jackson are all proficient, however none of them have the presence to take cost when the workforce wants course. They will produce moments of brilliance, however and not using a commanding determine to information them, Chelsea’s assault typically seems to be disjointed.
There’s nobody demanding the ball when issues aren’t going their approach, nobody setting the tempo when they should take management of a match.
That’s the distinction between potential and dominance. Chelsea’s assault is stuffed with aptitude, however and not using a chief to convey all of it collectively, it stays inconsistent.
The expertise is there, however and not using a clear point of interest, they’ll maintain struggling to show possession into targets when it issues most.
