Chelsea is sliding in a way that even the most optimistic people are worried about. Earlier this month, coach Liam Rosenior affirmed that the team is still in the top 4 of the Premier League since he took over.
However, in a short time, reality reversed when The Blues dropped to 9th place if only counting the period under Rosenior. The defeat to Manchester United was not just a slip-up, but also extended Chelsea's defeat streak to four. Among them, three defeats took place right at Stamford Bridge - something that has rarely happened since the old days of the club.
However, Rosenior still maintained his point of view when saying that his team deserved a better result. The English captain emphasized that Chelsea controlled the match, created many chances and only lacked accuracy in finishing.
This assessment is not entirely wrong, because The Blues are really superior in the number of shots. However, the problem lies in the quality of chances, not the quantity. Since mid-March, they are the only team in the Premier League that has not scored, despite having the most total shots - a paradox clearly reflecting the deadlock in attack.
In-depth statistics further clarify this situation when only Wolves are the team with a lower expected goal score per shot than Chelsea in the recent period. This shows that most of their shots come from positions that are not dangerous enough to make a difference.
Chelsea controlled the ball well, deployed smoothly, but lacked direct penetrations into the penalty area - where the fate of the match was decided. Meanwhile, the opponent took better advantage of the few but clearer opportunities.
The problem is not only in the tactical system but also from the people. While strikers like Matheus Cunha on Man United's side have the ability to convert opportunities beyond expectations, Chelsea's attacking players continuously finish ineffectively. This is no longer a story of bad luck, but a sign of a team lacking a real "killer" - someone who can decide the match in just a moment.
In top football, the difference is always in detail. When Manchester City has Haaland or Liverpool owns Salah to solve the match, Chelsea struggles with harmless shots. If they do not soon improve their ability to convert opportunities, dominating the game will only be a beautiful number in statistics, and the result on the scoreboard will continue to turn their backs on them.
We have made it difficult for ourselves. We need to be frank and realistic about it. But what we are not allowed to do is give up. The whole team must continue to fight.
We need to bring the spirit, energy and determination like before Man United to the match against Brighton. However, we did not keep a clean sheet and did not take advantage of opportunities in the past match, so we must improve sharpness and efficiency in both penalty areas" - Rosenior shared.
