Sport
If Chelsea are to finish in the top five and qualify for next season’s Champions League, they might look back on Sunday’s win over Liverpool as one of their most important results of the whole season. It was a result that pointed the Blues in the right direction again after a disappointing period that threatened to undermine their campaign.
Until December, Chelsea were flying so high that some had even put them forward as outsiders for the Premier League title. The Blues only two defeats in 17 games came against Manchester City and Liverpool with Enzo Maresca getting the best out of a squad assembled without any coherent strategy.
Over Christmas and into 2025, though, Chelsea slumped. They suffered a run of just two wins from 10 league games and dropped a long way off the pace at the top of the table. More recently, the back-to-back draws against Brentford and Ipswich Town raised concerns that the Stamford Bridge could miss out on the top five altogether.
Sunday’s win over Liverpool reflected a timely return to form, though. While Liverpool’s squad rotation certainly helped, the Blues looked more like the well-coached, confident team that started the 2024/25 campaign with Cole Palmer finally back to his best after a run of 14 league games without finding the back of the net.
Palmer ended his goal drought by converting a late penalty kick, but the 22-year-old was impressive throughout, playing a key role in Enzo Fernandez’s strike to open the scoring. Liverpool’s rotated midfield unit struggled to get to grips with Palmer’s movement in between the lines.
Romeo Lavia also made an impact in the centre of the pitch. He is an excellent two-way midfielder and gave Chelsea plenty on both sides of the ball, poking through the pass for Palmer in the build-up to the first goal. With Lavia in central midfield, Chelsea are better equipped against the strongest opponents, like Liverpool.
Nicolas Jackson’s return from injury came at a good time of the season for Chelsea. While the Senegalese striker can be inconsistent, he is still the best, most reliable centre forward at Stamford Bridge right now, something he has served a reminder of by scoring three goals in his last three games.
Many Chelsea supporters still argue that Maresca’s possession-heavy approach dulls the Blues’ attacking verve. They have been boring to watch at times this season. The Italian wants his team to control matches through their use of the ball and this often results in low tempo possession as Chelsea move from the midfield into the forward line. This is where they must improve.
Nonetheless, Chelsea have made progress this season. The last three seasons have been chaotic at Stamford Bridge. Before Maresca, the Blues went through four managers (Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino) in just two seasons, making it almost impossible for anyone to put in place foundations.
Maresca, however, has forged a framework. He has a much better idea of what needs to be done to restore Chelsea as a force at the top of the Premier League than he did 12 months ago. At least one new centre back should be on the summer shopping list. Some new wingers could also help Chelsea build on this season.
Attracting new players to the club will be easier with Champions League qualification confirmed. A place in the top five would give Chelsea a platform to use after three tumultuous seasons. Maresca’s team might not be the finished product, but their recent form shows this Chelsea side is worth persisting with.
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- Source: https://www.colossusbets.com/blog/chelsea-steady-the-ship-in-champions-league-race/
