Troubled Chelsea could yet see triumphant return to European football
The Blues have relied heavily on Cole Palmer’s goals and Thiago Silva’s steady presence in defence
CHELSEA have blown hot and cold throughout the entire English Premier League (EPL) season. Even with one of the league’s most expensively assembled squads, the Blues have struggled to turn their star power into positive results on the pitch.
On Thursday night (May 2), Chelsea displayed glimpses of their true potential as a pair of headers from Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson gave Mauricio Pochettino’s men a hard-fought 2-0 win over their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
It is a result that moved Chelsea up to eighth in the table, within touching distance of the sixth and seventh positions that would earn them either a place in next season’s Europa League or the Conference League.
Standout player
This season has proved to be quite a rocky journey for the Blues, with unexpected setbacks, underwhelming performances and a struggle to live up to the heavy expectations set by the club’s rich history.
While Chelsea fans have had little to shout about in recent months, the one standout player has been 20-year-old Cole Palmer, an attacking midfielder who is a shoo-in to be named the club’s Player of the Year.
The Englishman has netted 20 goals in 29 appearances in the league, just one goal behind the EPL’s leading scorer Erling Haaland of Manchester City.
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While Palmer has been the sole beacon of hope, he has cut a rather frustrated figure of late, failing to score since he netted four against Everton on Apr 16. The supporters will be hoping that this is nothing more than a minor blip, for he will need to return to scoring form for the final four games of the season if Chelsea are to continue their push up the table.
Palmer, who joined the London club from Manchester City last September, has displayed immense potential and individual brilliance to the extent that some have even nicknamed the team “Cole Palmer FC”.
Pochettino’s dependence on his talisman is quite clear. In early April, Palmer dazzled Stamford Bridge with a mesmerising hat-trick against Manchester United, which included two last-gasp goals as Chelsea overturned a 2-3 deficit in injury-time to win 4-3.
On Apr 16, Palmer wowed the crowd again with a four-goal haul against Everton, but was sidelined by illness for the next game against league leaders Arsenal. Chelsea went on to lose 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium, their biggest loss this season.
In an interview before the Arsenal defeat, Pochettino urged his team to show that they were “Chelsea FC, not Cole Palmer FC”.
Chelsea’s continued reliance on Palmer is quite a concern for many of their fans, given how the management have splashed out a staggering £1 billion (S$1.7 billion) in the transfer market.
The emergence of Palmer does highlight the importance of nurturing young talent, which could become a cornerstone of Chelsea’s future success.
There are other young players like Lewis Hall and Bashir Humphreys who have shown promise. Chalobah, who scored against Tottenham, is a former academy graduate at Chelsea.
The hope is that the Blues – the winner of the Champions League just three years ago – can integrate them into the first team, which will not only save millions in transfer fees but also create a much-needed sense of continuity and stability.
A stalwart bids goodbye
To add more uncertainty to Chelsea’s future, Brazilian defender Thiago Silva on Monday announced his departure at the end of the season, bringing an end to his four-year stint at the club.
The 39-year-old has been a reliable rock at the back and remains well-respected by both fans and teammates even during the last two disappointing seasons under former managers Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, and Pochettino currently.
Since arriving on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in August 2020, Silva has made 151 appearances to cement his status as a fan favourite and a vital squad member. He has also won an impressive haul of silverware during his short time at Chelsea, including the Champions League, Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.
“Chelsea means a lot to me. I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years,” said Silva.
While his impending departure means a gaping hole in defence that needs to be filled, it is also an opportunity for other players to step up to the plate and take on more responsibilities at the heart of Chelsea’s back four.
For now, the priority for Chelsea is to rack up as many points as possible to finish the current campaign on a high, and then rebuild for next season. They next play West Ham United on Sunday, and another big win will see their dream of qualifying for Europe move closer to being realised.
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