Chelsea Must Finish Games Better to Win Title
It’s a little early to get too caught up in the title race in the Premier League, but Chelsea have clearly established themselves as the overwhelming favorites through nine games. Chelsea hold a four point lead over second place Southhampton and a six point advantage on third place Manchester City, the latter of whom figures to be their biggest challenger for the title. However, yesterday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United brought up some minor concerns for the Blues going forward.
The biggest reason Chelsea didn’t win the title last season was their inability to kill off games against inferior opposition late in the season, an issue that has surfaced again. Chelsea brought a 1-0 lead late into stoppage time at Old Trafford yesterday, and it looked like a classic Jose Mourinho 1-0 away win. However, a Branislav Ivanovic foul led to a late second yellow card and a sending off for the Chelsea right back. Angel Di Maria then delivered an excellent free kick to Marouane Fellani, whose header produced a fantastic save from Thibaut Courtois. However, the rebound fell right to Robin van Persie, who hammered the ball into the back of the net and delivered the Red Devils a much needed point.
There is no need to draw too many conclusions from some bad luck and a goal that United frankly deserved. However, in their two biggest tests this season, away games at both Manchester clubs, Chelsea have taken a 1-0 lead and failed to hold it. That is uncharacteristic of a Mourinho coached team, and it is all the more concerning in the light of last season’s issues. Chelsea are also allowing exactly 1 goal per game on average this year after allowing just .71 goals per game during last season’s campaign.
It is too early in the season to be overly concerned about these issues, especially considering Chelsea were without Diego Costa, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Ramires. However, the inability to kill off games is something to keep an eye on going forward, because that is a quality that is essential in any championship team. The Blues had opportunities to add a second goal but failed to produce one, and they obviously weren’t able to withstand the final push from United, a display that was very similar to the City game.
These issues are still minor, but they are something that have to cause some concern for Mourinho. Chelsea must show that they can finish games against quality opponents in order to ensure they remain the dominant team in the Premier League throughout the remainder of the season.
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