Chelsea was a bit of an unknown prospect at the start of the season. They finished well last term under Mauricio Pochettino but then dispensed of his services. In came Enzo Maresca, who had just guided Leicester City back to the Premier League. So, where Chelsea would finish was anyone’s guess, especially after another recruitment-heavy summer but a top four finish for Chelsea will be welcomed.
Loss To Manchester City
After a loss on the opening day of the season at the hands of Manchester City, the team Maresca worked for as Pep Guardiola’s assistant before he took the Leicester job, and a match that, according to the latest sports betting odds, they were highly unlikely to win, Chelsea began to purr, and at one stage they looked like they’d be the team challenging Liverpool for the title.
That was, until December 22, when Maresca’s side travelled to Goodison Park with a chance of going top of the league. They drew 0-0 that day and then went on a run of four games without a win, and their form has been patchy since. A win against Wolves was followed up by another defeat to City. Chelsea defeated West Ham and then lost to both Brighton and Aston Villa.
West London Outfit
As expected, the West London outfit bounced back to winning ways after two Premier League defeats in a row when they comfortably defeated basement club Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge. It’s a game everyone expected them to win, and they lived up to expectations as they cruised to victory. On the night, they probably could have scored six or seven, based on the chances they created across the ninety minutes.
The Aim For Chelsea This Season
As stated countless times by Maresca, the aim for Chelsea as a club this season is for them to make their return to Champions League football, which should be the minimum target each season moving forward. At present, only a handful of points separate 3rd from 10th, and Chelsea are one of the teams likely to finish in the top four.
Qualifying for the Champions League would represent a significant achievement for the club, not only because of the financial benefits it would bring but because it would be an indication things are moving in the right direction following a lot of change since the new owners took control. It would also be a benchmark after they and Maresca were a bit of an unknown quantity.
Finally, and as suggested by Maresca, all teams go through bad patches in a season. Chelsea’s undoubtedly began at Goodison Park in December and has followed on from there. However, if they can come through that and start putting back-to-back wins together, especially on the back of a strong showing in their 4-0 win against Southampton, it will be a sign of their resilience and that they’re a team that can overcome adversity, which is a positive.
