Why will Chelsea NOT win the English Premier League?
Date: 23rd Feb; Matches Played 27; Won 18; Drawn 6 and Lost 3; Points 62 and top of the table.lik That is Chelsea Football Club for you right now.
The blues are on a run right now, no doubt. While Mourinho might look at underplaying his title hopes by issuing statements like ‘Chelsea are not in the title race’ he surely knows that they have a good shout at reclaiming the gold.
But can Chelsea hold their lead for 11 more games. I say No.
City are three points behind Chelsea as of now with a game in hand against Stoke. You expect them to win that game and go top of the table. For City, the next 11 games are against opponents in the lower half of the table and Manchester United.
Few would argue that United are still rebuilding under David Moyes and they pose no serious threat to City.
A look at Chelsea’s remaining 11 fixtures reveals matches against Tottenham and Arsenal. London derbies are not something you want to get into when you are making a run for the title. One the penultimate matchday of the season, Chelsea run into Liverpool. The next 11 fixtures do not look all that rosy for Chelsea then.
Shift to the Champions league now. Barcelona have nearly handed City an exit ticket from the Round Of 16. Chelsea still have fairly good chances of going through against Galatasaray. European nights are grueling and test the depth and strength of the squad. Chelsea has neither as it relies on the agility of Hazard to get them out of trouble. Lampard, Cole and Etoo are past their prime.
Shift to City and there is a huge pool of talent in Aguerro, Navas, Toure, Nasri and Negredo. Their squad has much more depth than Chelsea. Being knocked out of the Champions League adds impetus to these players to play harder to bring home the Premier League.
This season Chelsea has not been the team that the opposition feared in the Premier league when they became champions. Chelsea of the 2013 season has been a team that prefers to lay back and defend in numbers and hits team on the counter attack. They have limited options in midfield with Hazard as their only playmaker. Then the old heads of Lampard and Terry rise to save them on few occasions as they did in the win against Everton. Surprisingly, Mourinho also sold off one of his best midfielders in Mata to United. Scrappy and hard fought victories have defined Chelsea this season, something you do not expect from wannabe Premier League Champions.
Chelsea are on a rebuilding campaign under Mourinho and 2013 is not the season for the blues. Maybe after the World Cup in Brazil with some players getting to play at the highest level and Mourinho rethinking his game plan, strengthening the midfield and attack in the offseason, the blues will be a force to reckon with next season.
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