Chelsea hasn’t been convincing since the start of the 2017/18 season and our pundit analyses why the defending champions can’t contend for the title this time around.
Chelsea has long been famous for assembling formidable squads ever since Roman Abramovich took the helm. Legends like Petr Čech, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Diego Costa, and John Terry have all proudly worn the iconic blue jersey. Unfortunately, the club hasn’t successfully signed replacements who can match these greats, leaving noticeable gaps on the pitch. Antonio Conte’s transfer choices this season, in particular, have sparked much debate. So, who are the key players Chelsea is sorely missing?
1. Diego Costa
Diego Costa admirably filled the massive void left when the legendary Didier Drogba moved to Galatasaray. Despite Drogba’s brief return, it was Costa’s electric goal-scoring that truly carried the team during that period.
He netted a remarkable 52 goals in 89 Premier League games over three seasons, helping Chelsea clinch two league titles. However, a strained relationship with Antonio Conte led to his exit, paving the way for Alvaro Morata, who had largely been a bench player at Real Madrid. Although Morata is a skilled finisher, he hasn’t quite reached the heights of his predecessors. Chelsea’s struggle to find clinical finishes in one-on-one situations has been costly. From inquiries about Peter Crouch and pursuits of Edin Džeko to signing Olivier Giroud from Arsenal, the strike department remains a question mark that only time will answer.
2. Nemanja Matic
When Chelsea signed Tiémoué Bakayoko from Monaco, they assumed Nemanja Matic would become expendable amid the hype. This assumption backfired.
The youngster, just 23 then, lacked the Premier League experience that Matic, a seasoned pro, possessed in abundance. To add insult to injury, Matic left for Manchester United where he has thrived. Historical Chelsea midfield stalwarts like Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard, and Michael Ballack set a high bar, and currently only N’golo Kanté comes close. The decisions to bring in Ross Barkley and Danny Drinkwater to patch the midfield have yet to pay off.
3. John Terry
John Terry embodied Chelsea’s most successful era. The captain and club icon was the rock in their defence. As he aged and moved towards retirement, Chelsea experimented with replacements like Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma but neither filled Terry’s massive boots effectively.
Antonio Conte brought back Andreas Christensen from a loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach and signed Antonio Rüdiger, both promising young defenders, yet both are still developing and have not matched Terry’s quality. Meanwhile, 32-year-old Gary Cahill was also entering the latter stages of his career.
