With manager Enzo Maresca and Chelsea registered a thumping 5-1 win over Southampton in the Premier League last Wednesday, December 4, to rise into the second place in the league table. The Royal Blues have the same number of points as Arsenal do, but are ahead in terms of goal difference.
Much has been said about their huge spending in transfer market, but it seems to have started results finally. Enzo Maresca, who took charge of the team at the start of the season, is doing a very fine job at the moment.
Chelsea are scoring heaps of goals:
The Royal Blues won their third consecutive Premier League match at Southampton and have now scored eight goals in their last couple of matches. Each of Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku is among goals, which makes them among the most dangerous teams offensively.
Palmer is hot property these days and has scored nine goals in 16 matches this season already. His ability to dictate terms inside the opposition half as the No. 10 has often proved to be decisive for his team. He combines really well with Jackson and Nkunku to keep the opposition defence under pressure.
Still, Enzo Maresca feels they can’t rely on Cole Palmer for their success. When asked about whether he is satisfied that the team is less reliant on Palmer, he said:
“Yes, and we are very happy. If you remember in my first press conference I said that we cannot rely on Cole for every game because it is not correct. He has to enjoy football. But if we prepare the season thinking Cole is the only solution then we are wrong. We work every day to allow Cole to be in situations where he can be the best and be good. You see that we move him from the right side to the left side, or from one side to the other side, because we want to put players in situations where they can be the best.”
Nkunku is in fine form himself and has scored 12 goals already this season. His pace and directness give Chelsea a very good option upfront. Pedro Neto has also impressed a lot with his speed. Thus, Chelsea’s attack is one of the most lethal and prolific ones in England at the moment.
The midfield has also shown a lot of stability this season, with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia both having a pretty good time. Caicedo has been the best defensive midfielder in Premier League alongside Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool this season, giving the Royal Blues a much-needed boost.
Their defence has also held firm for the majority of the time, making the team a complete outfit. Maresca has been able to make his team play their football with quick passes and enough enterprise.
Enzo Maresca has Chelsea firmly in top four race
With 28 points in 14 matches, Chelsea trail the table-toppers Liverpool by seven points, which is quite a sizable difference at this stage. However, the Royal Blues are very well in the race to finish inside top-four. Arsenal have looked a different team since Martin Ødegaard returned from injury, but Chelsea should be able to give them some stiff competition.
Among the other teams, Manchester City are in a turmoil phase for the last couple of months or so. With key injuries, they are showing kinks in their armour.
The four teams mentioned above are clearly better than the rest in the Premier League. The likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have not been consistent enough and lost points far too often to be in the reckoning for a top-four finish.
There is still a long time to go in the season and it might be premature at the moment to draw any conclusions. However, there is no doubt about the fact that Chelsea have shown a lot of improvement. It remains to be seen whether they can continue in the same manner.