For most of the season, Chelsea have been playing against two of the greatest teams in Premier League history. Manchester City and Liverpool have set a new standard of excellence in English football, winning the title with record total points in recent seasons. However, after surprisingly winning the Champions League last May, Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea appear to be perfectly ready to break the duo's monopoly, as underscored by their top-grossing Premier League table in December. Since then, however, factors such as the recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic within the team, injury issues and overcrowding have slowed their progress. Chelsea continue to present themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Cup, but unfortunately the atmosphere around Stamford Bridge has changed, not just because of the club's continued ownership issues.
In fact, Tuchel is more concerned about what he sees on the pitch now, and he is outraged by the team's 11 goals in the last three home games. "At our level it's impossible to have so many turnovers," the German raved after another chaotic defensive performance in the 2-4 loss to Arsenal, "you've never seen a game like this, but we're doing it now." You can't win a football game like that. This is simply not possible. "Worryingly, before this weekend, there was only a five-point gap between third-placed Chelsea and fourth- and fifth-placed Tottenham and Arsenal, respectively, and the gap between the two teams was limited to the number of goals scored.
The Blues have a make-up game to play, but it's a rebuke to their slump since the start of the year and they are now struggling to retain Champions League qualification rather than looking forward to a title race with Manchester City and Liverpool. In fact, the fear is that they could actually be in a four-game tie with mediocre teams like Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham United, all of which have shown maddening instability this season. So, what went wrong with Chelsea?
Upon arriving in West London in January 2021, Tuchel's main message to the dressing room was that he wanted his side to be a "terrible opponent" in the game, especially considering that Lampard was overshadowed by the team's poor defence. Late last season, when asked how to explain his team's performance by leaps and bounds, "Sometimes, we just keep fighting. We use our bodies, we use our productivity, and if we can't beat [the opponents], we're ready to beat them with fighting spirit and energy. "It's a variation on chelsea not having superstars like Salah or De Bruyne and they need to find other ways to win the game.
Of course, it's easier said than done, but the players are really engaged and Tuchel has created a culture of hard work that translates into high-intensity football and incredible concentration. While the state improved, the Blues replaced the three-back system and added an additional defensive player, making it difficult for the Blues to break through. While the goal was still to hoard possession where possible, the focus shifted to pressure and a quick counter-attack. The emphasis on defence has weakened the club's ability to create fluid offensive performances, but not conceding goals is prioritized, especially when attacking players like Kay Havertz and Werner cannot guarantee a steady goal.
Tuchel said after his side's 6-0 away win over Southampton: "If we put in 90 or 80 per cent of the total energy, commitment and effort, we are not the kind of team that can escape the outcome. We must get our priorities right. If we have the determination, if we have the courage to defend, if we have the right attitude and a desire for honor, and win the challenge, we will be a special group. "Of course, one hopes that getting a capable goalscorer last summer will add an extra dimension to Chelsea's attack.
However, Lukaku set a club record for a transfer fee of £100 million from Inter Milan and the situation could not have been worse. The Belgian simply did not adapt well to Tuchel's tactics, as he himself acknowledged it in an already notorious interview in the Italian media, which, while perhaps exaggerated, was grossly misjudged in tone and content. The incident will only further alienate Romelu Lukaku, and this major problem, coupled with the expiring contract of key defensive combinations Rudiger and Christensen, has had an uneasy impact on the dressing room.
Last season everyone was united and Tuchel could rotate at will. Now, it's a more delicate balancing act, trying to keep every member of the squad motivated and energetic, especially when you consider chelsea have played more games this season than any other team in Europe. Even Tuchel himself was not as happy as he had been. He handled the ownership crisis with grace, but seeing him use Stamford Bridge as an excuse for the team's decline in form says a lot. Chelsea have certainly been under more pressure than most teams this season, but now their responsibility is really to end a tumultuous season with outstanding performances to ensure they can continue to catch up with the elite teams at the top of the table next season, rather than being as mediocre as the bottom-ranked teams.