Man City win highlights Chelsea’s struggles

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Manchester City ascended into the Top 4 as Chelsea fell from it after they were beaten 3-1 by the Citizens on Saturday night. A poor display by the Blues has contributed to multiple errors that led to City claiming all three points in the game.

The match began unfavorably for City when debutant defender Abdukodir Khusanov who recently joined for £33.6 million from Lens, made a critical error in the opening minutes. His misjudged header intended for goalkeeper Ederson was intercepted by Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, who capitalized on the mistake to give the visitors an early lead.

Despite this early blow, City responded late on in the first half. Josko Gvardiol equalized before halftime, setting the stage for a dominant second-half performance. Erling Haaland and Phil Foden each contributed a goal to secure the win for the hosts.

Enzo Maresca’s men who were initially very active at the start of the game were phased out in the second half. Understandably, Maresca had learned greatly from Pep Guardiola’s tactics over their years together, but with a team display like this, the coach will have to do more than go back to the drawing board to figure out where it all went wrong. The Blues created fewer chances and lacked creativity up front. Nicolas Jackson’s performance on the night would be a key assessment for the Blues who still peddle the idea of bringing in a suitable and consistent No.9 to lead their charge.

Chelsea’s Goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez who played a huge role in keeping the game leveled made a scrutining mistake that cost his team a second goal. The Spanish man was well off his line against a skilled Erling Haaland, who lifted the ball into the unguarded target to give City the lead. It’s sad to see that Chelsea boost of nearly eight senior goalkeepers but not one is good enough to be their shield.

The Blues while still growing under Enzo Maresca have shown their incapacity to take on big games and hold onto an advantage. This has been highly shown with defensive leaks that ensure they likely never win a game with clean sheets in the Premier League. A recovering Man City team bested their tactics and was onto them throughout the second half. Should the Blues continue with this mediocre performance, they would be risking not participating in the UEFA Champions League or even the Europa League for consecutive seasons.

While the January transfer window is still active, the Blues might look towards more options to further cement the team. A powerful center forward is much needed with every other position needing mild modifications and improvements.

After the game, City’s Manager Pep Guardiola expressed support for Khusanov who suffered a bad debut. He emphasized the importance of learning from such experiences and highlighting the team’s collective effort in securing the comeback win.

CHELSEA IN TRACK TO BECOME EUROPE’S MOST DIVERSIFIED CHAMPIONS

Chelsea seamlessly made it to the knockout stages of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League at the top of the newly introduced League phase while also running unbeaten in the tournament. The Blues set a new milestone as the highest-scoring team in the UCoL with their 8-0 the thrashing of FC Noah. They now await the results from the playoffs in mid-February to determine their path in the knockout stages.

The West London club has emerged as favorites to win the competition with multiple analyses and supercomputer predictions to back their far-fetched percentage margin. Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino last season (2023/24) made a remarkable comeback before the end of the season to overthrow overlying teams and book a second spot in the Europa League by finishing sixth. This advancement was however overshadowed by Manchester United’s FA Cup win. The Red Devils without European qualification were automatically into the Europa League, demoting Chelsea to the UEFA Conference League. A win for the Blues in this season’s tournament would make them the most successful club in Europe in terms of diversification (European competitions).

Before the introduction of the Conference Cup, the Blues remained the only European team to have won all the UEFA competitions at least twice with their Champions League victory in the 2020/21 season. They first claimed UCL victory in 2011/2012 and went ahead to claim their first Europa Cup victory the following season (2012/13). In the 2018/19 season, the Blues beat close rivals Arsenal to claim the UEFA Europa Cup for a second time. After failing to win the UEFA Super Cup in multiple appearances, they finally got their hands on the trophy in 2021, rekindling their first win in 1998. The Blues also won the Cup Winners Cup twice (1971,1998) while the tournament existed. Now, with the Conference League in their near reach, they could be the very first team to win it all in Europe.

Chelsea’s Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku are both the top scorers in the tournament with six and five goals respectively. The ability of Enzo Maresca’s side to keep rotating XIs in every feature shows the depth of the squad against similar opponents in the competition. Cole Palmar who has undoubtedly been the Blue’s best player might be registered in the competition before the knockouts bringing even more flair to a squad that is already victorious.

The Blue’s top spot in the League phase automatically means an easier competitor in the Round of 16. Although nothing is certain and they still have to face opponents as they would in higher competitions, they are clear favourites to win it.

In contrast to the Champions League, the rewards for Chelsea in this competition are relatively modest, but every bit counts. The club isn’t in a position to disregard the nearly £16 million they could earn by winning every match, including the final. While this amount falls well short of the earnings from even the Europa League, it remains a significant boost. Given Chelsea’s ongoing efforts to stay within the Premier League’s financial regulations.

CHELSEA ONLY TO BATTLE ENGLISH IN FEBRUARY 2025

Already in the knockout phases of the UEFA Conference Cup (which starts early March) and eliminated from the Carabao Cup, the Blues will continue their journey this season with eye-catching games that will determine their growth under Enzo Maresca. Despite denying being title contenders, they still boost a limitless pool of opportunities to make something special in the 2024/25 season.

In the next month, Chelsea’s battles will be within England, fighting to advance in the FA Cup and stay top in the Premier League. With the London Derby date postponed, here is a list of Chelsea’s upcoming games.

Chelsea Vs. West Ham United (Monday 3rd February, English Premier League)

Brighton & Hove Albion Vs. Chelsea (Saturday 8th February, English FA Cup)

Brighton & Hove Albion Vs. Chelsea (Friday 14th February, English Premier League)

Aston Villa Vs. Chelsea (Saturday 22nd February, English Premier League)

Chelsea Vs. Southampton (Tuesday 25th February, English Premier League)

Chelsea Vs. Leicester City (Sunday 9th March, English Premier League)

Arsenal Vs. Chelsea (Sunday 16th March, English Premier League – Time TBD)

GET AVAILABLE CHELSEA TICKETS!

Reserve a spot on the big stages by purchasing fast-selling Chelsea tickets. The Blues competitive front just got a lot more intense and you don’t want to miss out on any of the action. Grab yours fast and explore seat maps and prices to pick the best spots for a beautiful experience.

Chelsea’s recent struggles with keeping a steady form in the Premier League have been highlighted in Saturday’s game against a struggling Manchester City side. While the trophy chase is not out of their reach yet, the club would have a lot of work to do in becoming a more competitive figure in the coming games. The January transfer window is still open and fans may witness new signings to further cement the club’s competition. Manchester United’s Alejandro Ganearcho has become a potential interest for the Blues.

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