Just two months ago, Chelsea were sitting a cut above the rest on top of the Premier League table. Pundits, commentators and experts had already written off anyone else becoming champions, and were debating as to whether they could go through a whole season unbeaten, and whether they could finish the season with 100 points or more. After Thursday’s defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, the situation looks a bit different. Chelsea’s lead has been reduced to nothing.
Having held such a commanding lead over their rivals, the Chelsea players and fans must be trying to work out how they let such a lead slip. The fact is, while Manchester City had a few bumps early in the season, they have now won eight out of their ten last matches in the Premier League. Of the last ten matches Chelsea have played they’ve won six, but drawn two and lost two.
Chelsea seemed to have filled all the holes that were apparent in last year’s squad. They seemed to lack a quality goal scorer, which they got in Diego Costa. Nemanja Matic, signed last January, has done an incredible job at holding midfielder, and Thibaut Cortouis seems to be an even goalkeeper than Petr Cech. With Jose Mourinho shaping his team perfectly together, it’s no surprise many people thought they’d win the league easily. What’s more, title rivals Manchester City were lacking in organisation, motivation and consistency.
Whether Chelsea fans should be worried is another matter. Chelsea have won the league every time they’ve topped the table on Christmas Day. What should be considered though, is Mourinho’s lack of will to rotate the starting eleven. Before the Premier League’s tough Christmas fixtures, the Portuguese said he would rotate the squad, but proof of this has yet to be seen. In the same time, Man City have now gone five matches without a striker, so far with relative success.
Moreover, should key players like Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, both of whom are injury prone, get injured over a tough winter period, things become even more difficult. Injuries to key players are always a big loss, but the loss is much greater if backup players are unfit and lacking in match fitness. That’s the risk in not rotating your squad, as Chelsea may learn the hard way.
Chelsea’s defeat at White Hart Lane on Thursday saw the Blues concede the most goals they have ever conceded in one game under Jose Mourinho. Earlier in the season, it seemed inconceivable that Chelsea would concede five goals. However, as seen before, Mourinho seems a great manager when things are going his way, and maybe not so great again when things are not. Then again, not many managers seem great when results are poor. The thing is, Mourinho’s cocky style and his “larger than life” attitude seem hilarious and part of what makes him so great a manager after a solid win. But at the press conference after the Spurs match he seemed like a poor loser, and his behaviour more like that of a grumpy old man.
All that negativity swept aside, without a doubt Chelsea will bounce back. The squad is packed full of quality players, as long as they get used. Chelsea are still very much in contention for the Premier League title, are in the running for the Champions League, and a cup win is feasible also. This weekend’s FA Cup tie makes for a perfect opportunity to rotate the squad, and Mourinho is not one to give up when the going gets tough.
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