Two defeats in three games, unable to score in either game, lacking bite and dynamism. Not the usual descriptions of the well oiled machine that is Chelsea Football Club but it’s fair to say that Chelsea have not been their old self lately. Last weekend’s damaging defeat to Liverpool and this weekend’s ravaging against a fantastic Sunderland side will have given hope to the rest of the league. It seems that Chelsea are beatable, surprise surprise.
Chelsea started the season as they ended the last; they were a juggernaut; dismantling teams at will with a blend of power and deftness, Ancelotti had seemingly done the impossible at Chelsea and created a side that wins with panache and grace – a feat that his predecessors, Mourinho included, could only achieve sporadically. In retrospect the hype may have been exaggerated to say the least as the opening five games of Chelsea’s season were as close to you can get to bankers, even amongst the irregularity seen in the Premier League. In the team’s defence, you can only beat the team you are playing – something Chelsea did rather emphatically. Gathering a goal difference of +20 after just five games it’s a goal difference that is still unmatched by any other team in the league after fourteen games.
It wasn’t until the 25th of September, their sixth game of the season and a trip to the City of Manchester Stadium, that Chelsea were presented with what surmounts to a challenge. It was a challenge they failed with Carlos Tevez scoring the winning goal after a hasty break from City. Chelsea seemed shorn of any degree of fluency and with a misfiring Didier Drogba they desperately lacked a cutting edge. Chelsea’s next home game against Arsenal followed the same script as the last few seasons; plenty of Arsenal pressure and dominance thwarted by the rampaging Didier Drogba.
All of Chelsea’s three defeats this season have followed a similar pattern; the opposition have choked the supply line to Drogba. Chelsea seem to be unable to cope with a midfield that applies constant and exuberant pressure upon them as Lucas, De Jong and Lee Cattermole all respectively demonstrated. That coupled with moments of individual brilliance has seen Chelsea wobble in a way rarely seen last year. Especially in clashes against the ‘Big Four’ and teams from the lower levels of the Barclays Premier League.
A major problem seems to be a rather disturbing lack of depth in the Chelsea squad. Roman Abramovich has decided to stop the folly of spending the millions that we saw in his maiden years at Chelsea, instead opting to utilise the youth set up that he has also invested heavily in. The summer just gone saw the departure of Michael Ballack, Ricardo Carvalho, Joe Cole, Juliano Belletti and Deco. With only the Brazilian Ramires and Yossi Benayoun bolstering the ranks at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea undeniably have the strongest eleven in the Premier League, but as shown on Sunday, there isn’t too much to prop up that eleven in the face of an injury crisis. Without Essien and Lampard, who were both missing against Sunderland and Liverpool, there is a distinct lack of threat from the Chelsea midfield. Ramires, Zhirkov and Mikel are all fine players in their own right but the statistics speak for themselves; they have no goals in the premier league.
The Subs bench doesn’t offer too much of an option either with youth being the only option. Sunday saw the introduction of Josh McEachran after seventy minutes and Gael Kakuta followed shortly after. While there is no denying that they will both become top quality players, at the moment they are not going to win Chelsea games. However, It is not just going forward where the lack of depth is worrying. With both John Terry and Alex out on Sunday, Ivanovic and Ferreira were ripped apart by the movement of Sunderland’s front two. Ferreira is not a centre back, he can barely defend at right back, but Ancelotti obviously did not feel brave enough to place his trust in the young Dutch defender Jeffrey Bruma.
The next month will be a real test for the champions; there are tricky trips away to Birmingham and Newcastle alongside three consecutive colossal clashes against Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal. By January 1st we will have a much clearer view of the state of Chelsea. They have to step up their game if they want to reclaim the title. Arsenal are beginning to hit their stride, whilst United are still in touching distance despite a mixture of poor form and an extensive injury list (you would expect them to start hitting form soon).
Chelsea are without a doubt the team to beat but they are showing signs of weakness. They are in dire need of the return of Frank Lampard and a general clean bill of health. Any more injuries to key players and it could be a dark winter for the reigning champions.