‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ risk not making Champions League unless away form improves
It used to be ‘Boring, Boring Arsenal’, but Chelsea are in danger of becoming the team to send supporters – particularly their travelling fans – to sleep.
Chelsea have not won away from home in the Premier League since a 4-3 thriller at Tottenham Hotspur on December 8 and the goals have dried up of late.
A blank at the Emirates means Enzo Maresca’s team have only scored three times in their last seven away games in the league, also failing to get on the scoresheet against Everton, Ipswich Town and Brighton and Hove Albion.
It’s a far cry from November, when Levi Colwill declared he would be scared to play Chelsea if he was on the opposition team because he and his team-mates were “battering” their rivals.
Part of the snoozefest can be traced back to injuries to striker Nicolas Jackson and winger Noni Madueke, while star man Cole Palmer was ruled out of the defeat at Arsenal with a muscle problem that is also expected to see him pull out of the England squad.
But Palmer had not scored for 10 games before his injury, Jackson was without a goal in eight and Madueke had netted twice in 12 matches.
Asked about the impact of missing Jackson, Palmer and Madueke, Chelsea head coach Maresca said: “It’s a huge difference if you think of the three players with most goals for us are Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke. Not one of them was on the pitch today.
“For two of them, they have already been out a long time, so it is normal that offensively we struggle a little bit, even if – until today – we are the second or the third best attacking team in the league. That means in any case we are doing well without those players, but we could do better with the players that are injured at the moment.”
Palmer a doubt for Tuchel’s England debut
Since Palmer joined the club, Chelsea have played three domestic away games without him and lost all three, while failing to score a single goal (eight conceded). Sunday’s loss was their first league match without Palmer since April 2024, which was also an away defeat to Arsenal.
“If Noni was there, or Nico was there, then probably the [Arsenal] game is different,” said Maresca. “It’s not just about one player. When I say we cannot rely on Cole, it’s correct to say because you cannot rely on one player. It’s about the team and don’t put too much pressure on Cole.”
On Palmer’s injury and the likelihood of him withdrawing from England duty, Maresca added: “It’s a muscle problem and the scan is planned for tomorrow [Monday]. I don’t think [he will be available for England]. I don’t think so. It will give him some rest, physically and mentally. It could be good.”
There is better news for Palmer’s international team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White. The Nottingham Forest midfielder was a surprise omission from the original squad but has since been called up.
Jadon Sancho did not manage to add to his one shot on target since Boxing Day against Arsenal, while those present could have been forgiven for forgetting Christopher Nkunku was playing until he and Sancho were replaced with 14 minutes remaining.
“Jadon did quite well, Christo also,” said Maresca. “I didn’t have the feeling they can do something better. For sure, we can create and attack better as a team.”
There were puzzled looks all round when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta claimed Chelsea are the best attacking team in the league “by a mile” after his side’s success – although both teams are tied on 53 league goals.
One could only imagine Arteta was basing his opinion on the first half of the season, rather than Chelsea’s attacking form since the victory over Tottenham, who they entertain at Stamford Bridge after the international break.
Arteta said: “In my opinion, they are the best attacking team in the league. In open play, yes.
“By a mile, I mean the stats say it and everything that I’ve seen, say it. They can open you up, they can run in transition, they have individual quality. Any player in the defensive line can throw you in behind, they can combine on both sides, on weak sides and they are missing some big players as well at the moment.”
Arteta appeared to doubt himself the more he was quizzed on it, adding: “I don’t know, it’s my opinion, I have a lot of data, the objective one, what it says and as well what I’ve seen in the games that they play. I might be wrong, I don’t know.”
Whatever Arteta thinks, Chelsea will have to start scoring and winning away from home to be sure of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
“First of all, we are going to try and win games away,” said Maresca. “At the moment, we are winning games at home and we are going to try and do the same away. At the beginning of the season, we were winning games away and struggled at home. Now it’s the other way. We are there, for sure. We need to improve, but overall I think we are good.”
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