The first half of the 2016/17 Premier League season was nothing short of phenomenal. We saw a dramatic increase in the quality of football, an influx of great players and coaches, as well as many compelling games in the best league in the world.
One of the most compelling narratives in the first half of the season was Chelsea’s 13 game winning streak which saw them top the table after 19 games. During this run, the Blues played at a level, far beyond anything they could’ve hoped for in their wildest dreams.
Although the Blues have had some good results, they’ve also displayed some worrisome tendencies that we can examine and use to extrapolate for the remainder of the season. Here is our evaluation of the Blues.
Positives
The switch to the 3-4-3 system has given Chelsea more tactical flexibility than they’ve had in the past, this has, in turn, allowed the players to use their Football IQ to adapt to different situations and play with more freedom. This new approach has rejuvenated the players who struggled last season, and it has also allowed the summer signings to fit in seamlessly. The other byproducts of playing this way have been a solid defence and an explosive counterattack
Chelsea’s restructured defence features David Luiz in the libero position, flanked by Cahill and Azpilicueta on either side. The Blues have only conceded 7 times with this setup. This is because the three of them have been drilled thoroughly on the training field, and their roles have been tailored to perfection.
They have also been aided by the performance of the wingbacks, Marcos Alonso and the reborn Victor Moses, who have managed to strike the right balance between defence and attack.
It would be criminal to forget about the midfield duo of N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic, who provide a defensive shield that is second to none. The pair has accounted for almost half of Chelsea’s interceptions whilst also have an average passing accuracy of 89%. These stats indicate that the pair has been adept at winning the ball back and distributing it efficiently with incisive passes. This has also allowed them to provide the front three with a platform, which they can use to launch counterattacks.
Speaking of the front three, all four of the men who have seen minutes in these positions have contributed heavily for the Londoners. However, Diego Costa has easily been the standout performer amongst them. The Spaniard has registered 14 goals and 5 assists while being serenaded with chants of “ Diego...Diego...” by the Stamford Bridge faithful. The former Atletico Madrid hitman is also the top goalscorer in the league at the moment.
Negatives
As mentioned earlier, there are some chinks in the armour of this Chelsea side that we must examine. For starters, although Chelsea’s counterattack has been breathtaking at times, they have struggled to break down teams, who have opted to concede possession and defend deep in numbers.
The Blues have had to rely on individual moments of brilliance, rather than any form of structural dominance to break the deadlock in these situations, as evidenced by their games against West Brom, Crystal Palace and Sunderland. This is simply not sustainable and could lead to several dropped points in the second half of the season.
While Chelsea’s defence has been reliable for the most part, the left side with Cahill and Alonso has been vulnerable at times, owing to their lack of pace. This weakness was exposed against Manchester City, when De Bruyne and Navas created multiple chances from this flank. Teams with pacy wingers will almost certainly cause Chelsea some problems in the future.
Diego Costa has been phenomenal in the first half of the season, what makes his goalscoring even more remarkable is the fact that he has scored 14 times from only 6.5 expected goals, while only taking three shots a game on average. These levels of performance are bordering on super human (aka Messi), and they earn him a place in every conversation about the best forward in Europe. However, this is not realistically sustainable and someone needs to take a portion of this burden from him.
The man who could do this is Eden Hazard, although the Belgian has played very well at times this year, he is yet to hit the heights that won him the PFA player of the year award in 2015.
Summary
Although Chelsea have played well, they still have several weaknesses that could drag them down. With so many games left to play, it is ludicrous to declare the title race over. Chelsea must still answer many challenges, if they want to win the league this year.
Overall Grade: A
