Chelsea Football Club has been sailing in treacherous waters this season. We’re beating them on a busy schedule and on the striker front. That’s as noticeable a decline in the overall performance of the team as you’ll ever see. Their England forward, who had a streak of scoring in four consecutive matches to open the season, is scoreless in her last seven appearances. As the players and coaching staff work to get back on track, there’s no way around it. There are pressing matters to attend to on the pitch.
The club’s recent outings are a testament to that phenomenon, with Chelsea having the second-fewest big chances created this season, coming in at just ten. Even more alarming, this statistic highlights the necessity for greater productivity at the top end of the pitch. The tension is palpable as they prepare for a difficult stretch of tournament games. On top of that, they have the grueling schedule that calls for five games in only 20 days.
Striker Drought and Defensive Concerns
Chelsea’s blunt forward line has been reason to question Chelsea’s effectiveness, having squandered a significant amount of big chances from matches so far. The Arsenal and England forward is having a tough time of it in front of goal. This puzzle makes the team’s search for answers all the more daunting.
Chelsea can’t buy a goal right now. Their most prolific creators, Beever-Jones, Catarina Macario, and Erin Cuthbert, have so far been unable to compensate for this attacking shortcoming. As the club faces increasing scrutiny for their performance, head coach Sonia Bompastor emphasized the need for clinical finishing in front of goal.
“You have to be clinical… we won’t give up on that aspect.” – Sonia Bompastor
Things get worse for the team when they look at their expected goals (xG) differential. As things stand, they sit one place clear of 11th-placed West Ham. This statistic highlights the urgency for Chelsea to rectify their attacking inefficiencies if they wish to remain competitive in both domestic and European competitions.
Defensive Challenges Amidst Fatigue
Chelsea’s attacking issues are further exacerbated by their long average time in the attacking third. This would be a huge departure from past seasons. This change signals a troubling trend that they’re performing worse overall. That’s an indication that exhaustion is starting to play a real role in performance as players deal with the demands of an extreme fixture pile-up.
Millie Bright, pictured, was a standout among defenders in the Women’s Super League (WSL) a year ago. Like many externally facing women, she had a tough time. She was taken off at half-time in a game the other week against Liverpool. After having been benched for the Champions League match against Barcelona on Sunday, concerns about her fitness and form have arisen.
It looks like Chelsea’s squad is starting to crack under that pressure. Their low duel win-rate shows that perhaps fatigue is setting in for this traditionally high-energy team. The grueling expectation of competing at that level every three or four days would pose more challenges, not without great precaution.
Future Uncertainty and Contract Situations
Chelsea is in a difficult transition period. They have to contend with the unknown of a slew of important musicians whose deals run out the current season. Among those are Chelsea’s star forward Sam Kerr, USWNT forward Catarina Macario, and Norway’s Guro Reiten. The possibility of losing these powerful actors further complicates the already-tense picture of Chelsea’s present reality.
The team drew with Barcelona in their recent Champions League encounter, showcasing glimpses of potential while highlighting areas that require improvement. With Chelsea in a difficult period of their schedule, the pressure is on. Fans will be rooting, of course, to see if the team can address their myriad issues and return to their previous triumphant ways.
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