Brighton & Hove Albion thrashed Chelsea 3-0 in a Premier League match at the Amex Stadium on Friday, February 14.
The defeat keeps Chelsea in fourth place with 43 points from 25 matches. However, the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth remain very close to them.
Chelsea have now lost in two of their last five Premier League matches.
It now seems quite difficult to believe that the Royal Blues actually challenged for the title at one point earlier in the season.
Chelsea’s Poor Defensive Record
The Blues’ defensive record has been pretty awful of late.
They have leaked in goals quite easily, conceding 34 goals in 25 Premier League matches so far, which is second only to Manchester City’s tally of 35 among the teams in the top six.
This is definitely not something one would expect from a top team.
Moises Caicedo has failed to hold on to the wonderful form that distinguished him in the first half of the season.
Enzo Fernandez is yet to justify the huge price tag associated with him even in his third season at the club.
Moreover, defenders like Levi Colwill and Trevor Chalobah have also failed to lend the defensive solidity to the club that is needed to stay in the title race.
Since the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva, both of whom were part of the UEFA Champions League winning side in 2021, the Blues’ defence has consistently suffered in the recent past.
The fact that they have a somewhat erratic goalkeeper in Roberto Sanchez has not helped their cause.
Struggles in Attack
Nicolas Jackson’s injury means that they do not have a suitable option upfront either.
Cole Palmer, by far the best player for Chelsea with 14 goals and six assists in 28 matches this season, has not been at his best in the last few matches for the West Londoners.
Enzo Maresca seems clueless about the team in general. He seems to have surrendered to his fate and does not do enough to try to reverse the tide of his team’s fortune.
After a good start to the season, his team’s challenge for the title has withered away quite painfully for the team’s supporters.
Chelsea last won the title in the 2016-17 season, but have not gone close to doing the same since.
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The Blues Must Deliver in Two of Their Next Three
Chelsea will take on Aston Villa in their next Premier League match and will then take on Southampton and Leicester City before locking horns with city rivals Arsenal on March 16.
While the match against Aston Villa should be tough, the Royal Blues must do enough to ensure that they beat both Southampton and Leicester.
That should give them enough confidence going into the match against the Gunners.
With only 14 matches to go in the Premier League, the Blues cannot simply afford to drop points continuously at this point in time.
It remains to be seen whether Maresca can cause a turnaround in his team’s fortune in the upcoming matches.
Losing out on Champions League football next season will only jeopardize his position at the club.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Sportimage
Recording Date: 14.02.2025