Chelsea’s 3 goals conceded tonight takes them to 51 for the season in the Premier League. That’s after 29 games played. It’s a pretty astonishing number for a team supposed to be competing for Europe.
By comparison, Liverpool have 28 conceded, Man City 29, and Arsenal just 24. Teams around our level are Crystal Palace, Fulham and Nottingham Forest. And they’ve all played more games than us.
The last 6 games we’ve played in a row, we’ve conceded two goals or more. We had some decent spells earlier in the season, but it’s turned into a total collapse at the back in recent weeks.
The defence is full of mistakes, the midfield don’t cover them properly, and the attack don’t defend well enough from the front. They are poor at set pieces, the full backs aren’t reliable and aren’t often well supported from ahead or either side. The centre backs are all flawed or unfit.
Djordje Petrovic isn’t directly at fault for a lot of these goals, but he has let in a couple of soft ones recently, and isn’t really commanding, dominant figure as you’d want.
What this all add up to? Goals conceded, clearly. Goals of all types at all times in the game, and in all game-states. We’re desperately open when we attack, and not able to form a solid shape when we defend.
There are just so many issues it’s hard to know where to start. Dropping Thiago Silva was a move that most fans were happy with, yet tonight our defence’s willingness to play high up cost them dearly.
