Success shaves off rough edges in theory, but does not actually alter a club’s foundations. Winning games has been a much-needed tonic and a deserved indicator of progress under Enzo Maresca, but it hasn’t changed the fact that this is a squad with fundamental flaws of composition.
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Read MoreThe loudest and most dangerous was Axel Disasi. A middling if error-prone centre-back at best, he has been used on the right time and again with invariably dire results.
With three right-backs on the bench – albeit one rested, one recovering and one still yet to start in the Premier League – stationing Disasi somewhere he is clearly uncomfortable and unsuited cannot have been the best option.
This was an exhibition of Chelsea’s worst traits; youthful naivety and arrogance in spades and their substandard defensive unit repeatedly exposed.
But they didn’t and shouldn’t have. Maresca is right that games and periods like this are inevitable in any season, with Chelsea now winless in three Premier League matches, but this served as a much-needed reminder that theirs remains a squad of quantity over quality. Having two players in every position is not the same as having two strong options, and the issue with breaking down low blocks is quietly re-emerging.
Without large-scale changes, next season they risk injuries, squad discontent and poor European results bleeding into their domestic form. Maresca is overly dependent on a select few and forced to rely on players he does not trust.
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Read MoreIn midfield, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has not made the step up from the Championship, while Cesare Casadei is not developing as hoped. Carney Chukwuemeka is clearly not Maresca’s man, Mykhailo Mudryk faces suspension and Felix is too lightweight and inconsistent, a fun idea but frustrating in reality. Even Madueke seems to spend as much time on the naughty step as off it.
The goalkeepers are fine, but neither Robert Sanchez nor Filip Jorgensen could anchor a truly elite side. These are the margins that make a tangible difference, across more than an entire second XI. There is a lot of deadwood here.
But regardless of the chaos around them, fourth at the halfway mark is where Chelsea would and should have hoped to be. They are almost guaranteed one trophy in the Conference League and could still compete for another in the FA Cup. This was just their fifth Premier League defeat in 33 games.
This reality check should help alleviate pressure and temper expectations for the second half of the season, something Maresca had already been trying his best to do. There is still a long way to go.
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