Chelsea are 11 games in to the new Premier League season, putting them more or less at the quarter-way mark under their new coach Enzo Maresca.
The Blues are in 3rd place, a huge improvement over this time a year ago where they were in tenth. But is the table slightly deceptive due to a more competitive league this year?
With 19 points from 11 games, Chelsea are averaging 1.7 points per game. That would put them on 65 points by the end of the season. Last season they finished with 63. So despite being many places higher in the table, and despite having had a much better start to the season, it’s a reminder that there’s a long way to go.
One thing that has held the Blues back so far is their performances in big games. After opening the season with a meek 2-0 loss to Man City, Enzo Maresca’s team have largely put smaller sides to the sword, but struggled in their games against their fellow Champions League rivals.
A defeat to Liverpool was unlucky, but the recent draws against Manchester United and Arsenal feel a little disappointing considering both teams were in a bad moment when we faced them. We have tough fixtures to come against Aston Villa and Tottenham after the international break, and it will be fascinating to see if Maresca can tweak something to help get us over the line in one of those matches.
Stats & Spins: surprising trends in Football and gaming among Chelsea fans
So now that we feel like we know this Chelsea team a little better – where would the wise bettor put their money? Sites which offer a $20 no deposit bonus would be the perfect place to try and earn some money predicting the Blues’ final position this season. It’s a fun way to make your bets last the whole season, and to make use of your knowledge of this Chelsea team.
If you think Maresca is going to find the right formula to turn those losses into draws and those draws into wins against our top rivals, we really could be looking to compete at the very top this year. If we’re able to continue beating the smaller teams easily but also start taking points off those around us, we could find ourselves embedded in the Champions League places with plenty of games to spare.
But one shouldn’t get overconfident – it seems just as likely that some of the teams we’ve been beating easily so far figure out how to slow us down or stop us entirely.
There’s certainly a sense that this year’s Premier League has a stronger middle class than a year ago. Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Fulham, Brentford and Bournemouth are all impressing and can beat anyone on their day.
Will Maresca find the right formula to beat the big boys before the Premier League’s middle class figure out how to stop his rapid counter attacking football? We can’t wait to find out, and this fortnight is going to be a long one as we await the team’s return to league action.
