A 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace extended a worrying run for Chelsea, with the Blues struggling to convert their lead into goals and then being punished for their wastefulness.
They were 1-0 up and playing comfortably at Selhurst Park. Cole Palmer's calm finish in the 14th minute after a superb pass from Jadon Sancho gave Chelsea the advantage. Palace were coy for much of the first half with few chances created.
However, Chelsea failed to increase their lead and were ultimately made to pay dearly. Jean-Philippe Mateta combined well with Ismaila Sarr and Eberechi Eze in the 82nd minute to make it 1-1. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca had envisioned this scenario but it was still unavoidable.
"For me, it's not about the rankings, it's about how we can improve. Today, for me, the performance was very good, both with and without the ball. You always have games where you play well but you can't win," Maresca said after the draw with Palace.
Maresca insists Chelsea cannot be considered title contenders, even though they were just two points behind leaders Liverpool in mid-December. Since then, they have drawn 0-0 with Everton, lost to Fulham and Ipswich Town, and were held to a draw by Palace.
In every game, except the one against Fulham, Chelsea have had a higher expected goals (xG) than their opponents. In the four games, Chelsea have had 61 shots compared to their opponents' 39.
"The important thing is to create opportunities, if we can do that then we are playing well. But the players need to take advantage of the opportunities to win. This is definitely an area we need to improve to become one of the strongest teams" - said the Italian strategist.
With his goal against Palace, Palmer has 13 goals in the Premier League this season. And up to round 20 of the Premier League, The Blues also own 39 goals, 1 goal more than the whole of last season.
Overall, Maresca has brought a certain level of calm to Chelsea this campaign, something that has been a luxury at Stamford Bridge since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover in May 2022.
After all, Chelsea are not the only team that needs Liverpool to lose themselves to create a tight title race in the second half of the season. However, it would be more realistic for Maresca to focus on the top-four race, as he has always assessed the Blues' strengths.