Chelsea are off to a good start in the Premier League as they have lodged full points on the board after two games and it seems like the team has taken the instructions of the new manager on board in a short space of time. They steamrolled past Huddersfield Town in the first encounter and then won against their London rivals Arsenal at home in a closely fought game. A good start have brought a lot of optimism among the Blues faithful but can Maurizio Sarri pull off something which Antonio Conte could manage in his first season, that is, win the domestic title? We try and analyse that here.
The Blues have incredibly winnable next four games, and a good start would keep them up to pace with their major rivals. However, it’s still a longshot for Chelsea to think of Premier League title right now. The Terriers didn’t provide enough resistance to test Chelsea, but against Arsenal, Chelsea’s defensive vulnerabilities were there for everyone to see. After taking an early two-goal lead, Sarri’s men allowed Arsenal to get back in the game, and if not for poor finishing from the Gunners in front of goal, the scoreline could have been different even at halftime.
Sarri’s Brand Might Be Attack, But It’s Defences That Wins You Leagues
In the past decade or so, Chelsea have been successful on the back of strong defence lines, but we can see a change from that under Maurizio Sarri. The Italian is known to play a free-flowing brand of football, and we can see the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian, Mateo Kovacic thriving under him. However, there still doesn’t seem to be solutions in the backline and the current crop of players would have to step up if the Blues want to come anywhere close to challenging for the title.
Gary Cahill is past his prime, and the experienced Englishman hasn’t found a place in the playing eleven as of now. David Luiz is capable of coming up with something spectacular on his day as well as producing howlers so one cannot expect him to keep it tight at the back every week. The likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have shown promise, but they are still young and are learning their trade, and one can say that they are not yet of title-winning calibre.
Even the left-back Marcos Alonso is a liability while defending. He is extremely promising while going forward as we have seen in the game against Arsenal but he has failed to stop most of the crosses while defending.
The Blues Might Be Short By One Centre Half And World Class Forward!
Sarri has improved the side by bringing in reinforcements in the midfield region but they are still a centre-back and a world-class striker short of winning the Premier League. Kepa Arrizabalaga might be the costliest goalkeeper in the world, but he needs to put in better performances to prove his price tag.
Alvaro Morata has started off well, and the Pensioners would hope that he can carry on his decent show for the rest of the season. With the level of competition in the Premier League, Chelsea would have to do well to concentrate on finishing in the top four this season.
