Chelsea’s transfer window is over, so how have their many moves affected their chances of reaching their goal of Champions League qualification?
Well, for starters, despite all the rumours to the contrary, the Blues’ moves were almost all outgoing. Joao Felix, Cesare Casadei, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga all departed, while the only really relevant addition was the recall of Trevoh Chalobah – who wasn’t even in the starting lineup against West Ham.
So while Enzo Maresca has kept his core of most used players, he has lost a lot of depth. The need for central midfield depth and cover in attack wasn’t addressed either, nor was the impending long suspension for left winger Mykhailo Mudryk. From a purely squad view, the team are weaker than a month ago.
So how has that affected their odds of making the top 4? A glance at any NZ casinos online will show that the Blues are still favoured to make the top 4, despite Man City’s heavy spending to get back into the race, and despite a wobble since Christmas for Enzo Maresca’s team.
That’s promising, although we still have some concerns. After some injury ravaged years we live in fear of another wave of medical problems.
Other teams are suffering worse than us right now, with City, Spurs, Man U, Arsenal and plenty of others losing key players as we race them for the finish line. But it only takes one bad week for us to be thrown back into injury hell.
This team has depth in some areas, but just imagine if Cole Palmer or Moises Caicedo or Nicolas Jackson were to get an injury now. It would be a huge blow, and by the time the team adapted to the absence (if it’s even possible to adapt), they would have lost crucial ground in the race.
After the win over West Ham, the Blues are back into 4th, but City, Newcastle and Bournemouth are providing really serious challenges to that status, and are all within 3 points. There is no margin for error as the season enters the final 3rd, and even a small wobble like the one the team has just gone through could prove fatal.
It will all make for an exciting conclusion to the campaign, with every point mattering hugely. It’s still difficult to tell whether this side recovers its early season form and cruises home, or whether it’s going to come down to the wire.
