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Chelsea coasted to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Burnley on Thursday night, with Victor Moses scoring the winner in the game. However, the Blues still remain in sixth position and their season is still very much appalling.
It has so far been a mixed season for Chelsea, as the club faces the prospect of missing out of the Champions League. Having dominated English football last season, Antonio Conte and his men were expected to make a further leap this campaign, both domestically and in Europe.
However, with just over a month to the end of the 2017/18 season, the Blues find themselves in a precarious situation – out of the Champions League, out of the Premier League title race, and risk missing out on a place in Europe’s flagship competition next season.
A lot of factors have accounted for Chelsea’s slump in form. But key among them has been the underperformance of certain stars in the team.
Last season, the Blues claimed the title not because they boasted the best squad in England but because some players played above themselves. This season, things have not worked quite the same way, with players badly flopping when it matters most.
Here are five Chelsea players who have badly disappointed this season:
#5 Thibaut Courtois
Last season was perhaps one of Thibaut Courtois’ best since he returned to Chelsea from his loan stint at Atletico Madrid. The Belgian was in top form throughout the campaign as the Blues scooped the Premier League trophy with ease.
However, the 25-year-old has failed to replicate his heroics this season and has been badly out of form since the beginning of the campaign. Chelsea may have boasted a stronger defense last season, but Courtois always proved reliable when the defensive unit was exposed.
He has just not been himself for the Blues this term, and although he still boasts 12 clean sheets, he has been way short of his best.
Last season, Courtois won the Golden Gloves after keeping 16 clean sheets, beating the impressive David de Gea to the prize. But, in this season, he has been a major flop for the Blues.
#4 Gary Cahill
Chelsea defender Gary Cahill may be playing his last season at the Stamford Bridge, after his uninspiring performances for the Blues this season. The England international was one of Chelsea’s best performers en route to winning the Premier League last season.
But he too has badly disappointed this season. Cahill’s form has been so bad that he has lost his place in the starting XI to Antonio Rudiger. Perhaps his poor form could be attributed to the departure of John Terry, having missed playing alongside his compatriot, who joined Aston Villa in the close season.
Usually confident and enterprising, Cahill seems to have lost that spark and it is one of the major reasons why Chelsea has struggled to make any major impact this season. It is hard to see the Chelsea captain remain with the club beyond this campaign, having clearly demonstrated that he is past his best.
#3 Alvaro Morata
Perhaps the biggest flop of all at Chelsea is Alvaro Morata. The striker was bought from Real Madrid as a direct replacement for Diego Costa, but has so far failed to live up to the billing. Morata is a great forward but he seems to have not adapted well at Stamford Bridge.
He seems not suited to the English game, with his inconsistency proving to be a big source of worry to his club. In some games, the Spaniard has shown flashes of his brilliant best, but has often flattered to deceive when it matters most.
His quiet demeanour and lack of physicality have made it far easy for opposition defenders to shove him off the ball many a time. It may be too early to judge Morata, but his debut season at Chelsea could have been far better. He has simply not lived up to expectations.
#2 Pedro Rodriguez
Chelsea winger Pedro Rodriguez is another of the club’s flops in the current campaign. After enduring a torrid debut campaign in the Premier League, the former Barcelona star kicked in gear last season as Chelsea swept aside the chasing pack to be crowned champions.
The 30-year-old was so instrumental in Conte’s side that won the league that he was almost undroppable. However, just like his aforementioned teammates, he has been totally lost this season, leading to him being axed from the starting XI.
His decision making has particularly been suspect, whiles his general influence and work rate in games has waned. This is definitely not the Pedro of last season.
The Spain international often provided a spark on the right side of attack for the Blues, but this season he has just not been up to scratch.
#5 Victor Moses
Chelsea wing-back Victor Moses would probably qualify to be in everyone’s worst team of the season, let alone that of the Blues. The Nigeria international has so far failed to kick on from his staring performances last season and has seen his development stall.
Moses was almost a forgotten man at Chelsea until the arrival of Conte, whose 3-4-3 formation proved to be the perfect system to unleash the beast in the former Wigan man. The 27-year-old subsequently made the right wing-back position his own but has failed to repeat such heroics this season.
His poor form means Conte has had to move him in and out of the side, occasionally preferring Zappacosta to the role. Moses, on his day, is unplayable, but this season has been downright poor for the Nigerian.
