- Chelsea Have Improved, But An Old Problem Still Haunt Them
Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League table with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their first 7 matches. Many fans would accept this position, considering the uncertainty surrounding the squad’s competency heading into the season.
Enzo Maresca and his team have delivered some impressive performances but still face lingering issues.
The Blues looked strong in their victories over Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton, and West Ham. They also played well against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest but failed to secure wins due to a recurring problem—lack of clinical finishing against defensive, low-block teams.
The issue isn’t about “scoring goals.” After Manchester City, Chelsea have netted the second-highest number of goals in the Premier League with 16. The problem lies in capitalizing on limited chances in tightly contested matches—”being clinical.”
Against Crystal Palace, Chelsea dominated, creating quality chances, but managed only one goal. In the second half, when Chelsea conceded, prime opportunities fell to Nicolas Jackson and Joao Felix, but neither capitalized, costing the team 3 points.
The same scenario unfolded against Nottingham Forest. Chelsea controlled the game and produced enough chances to win, but missed opportunities from Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix prevented a victory.
This lack of finishing could be the deciding factor between teams making the top four and those that fall short this season.
Chelsea need a clinical presence in the box to turn these draws into wins if they want to challenge for major titles again.
