Chelsea’s one-sided 3-0 loss away to Manchester City
on Sunday left the defending champions five points
below their opponents in 16th place in the nascent
Premier League standings.
The season may be only two games old, but Chelsea
already appear to be in difficulty, having failed to
record a win in their opening two league games for
the first time since 1998.
Here, AFP Sports lists five issues that will be
troubling Chelsea’s fans ahead of this weekend’s trip
to West Bromwich Albion, where they lost 3-0 on
their last visit:
1. Mourinho’s mood
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wrote the book on
diversionary tactics, but the spikiness with which he
has attacked the new season suggests that all is not
well behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge. It is only
mid-August and he has already launched barbs at
Everton manager Roberto Martinez, his old Arsenal
adversary Arsene Wenger and City manager Manuel
Pellegrini, made a cruel jibe about Rafael Benitez
and demoted two of his medics, Eva Carneiro and Jon
Fearn, after they angered him by running on to treat
Eden Hazard during the 2-2 draw with Swansea City.
He may have signed a new contract on the eve of the
season, but Chelsea fans who remembered how
Mourinho’s first spell at the club unravelled
acrimoniously in 2007 will hope that his mood
improves quickly.
2. Defensive frailties
Chelsea boasted the league’s stingiest defence in the
first two seasons following Mourinho’s return from
Real Madrid, but the sight of Sergio Aguero
repeatedly strolling through their back line at the
Etihad Stadium showed the extent to which it has
become an area of concern. “I’ve never seen them so
disorganised,” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
Mourinho said that John Terry’s unceremonious half-
time withdrawal had merely been a means by which
to add more pace — in the form of Kurt Zouma — to
his floundering back four, but it may also have been
intended as a message to Chelsea’s directors to step their pursuit of everton's john snow.
SEE CHELSEA MATCH SCHEDULES HERE
3. Ivanovic struggles
No player has symbolised Chelsea’s problems more
in their opening two league games than right-back
Branislav Ivanovic. A Stamford Bridge stalwart for the
last six seasons, the Serbian was left chasing shadows
by Swansea’s Jefferson Montero and was at fault for
City’s second and third goals, being out-jumped by
Vincent Kompany at a corner and then presenting the
ball straight to Fernandinho. The arrival of Ghana
left-back Abdul Rahman Baba from Augsburg may
offer a chance to take the 31-year-old out of the
spotlight, as it would give Mourinho the possibility of
switching Cesar Azpilicueta to his preferred position
of right-back.
4. Hazard warning
It says much that Hazard’s most notable contribution
to Chelsea’s campaign so far has been the injury he
sustained in the latter stages of the game against
Swansea that launched the Carneiro/Fearn polemic.
Last season’s multiple Player of the Year, the Belgian
winger has looked off the pace in the campaign to
date, sleep-walking through pre-season and failing to
make an impression against either Swansea or City.
He squandered Chelsea’s best chance of an equaliser
at the Etihad, shooting too close to Joe Hart.
5. Recruitment hiccups
Chelsea’s close-season transfer dealings in 2014 were
masterful, with Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Filipe
Luis and Didier Drogba all arriving before the end of
July, giving Mourinho time to shape his new-look
team. This year, Chelsea have not materially
strengthened, having merely replaced the outgoing
Petr Cech, Luis and Drogba with Asmir Begovic,
Rahman and Radamel Falcao. A new centre-back is a
priority, but Chelsea also look light in attack, where
the champions are unhealthily reliant on Costa and
his troublesome hamstrings. Falcao and Loic Remy do
not pose anything like the same goal threat and Juan
Cuadrado, a £23.3 million ($36.4 million, 32.9 million
euros) signing from Fiorentina in January, has been a
major disappointment.
on Sunday left the defending champions five points
below their opponents in 16th place in the nascent
Premier League standings.
The season may be only two games old, but Chelsea
already appear to be in difficulty, having failed to
record a win in their opening two league games for
the first time since 1998.
Here, AFP Sports lists five issues that will be
troubling Chelsea’s fans ahead of this weekend’s trip
to West Bromwich Albion, where they lost 3-0 on
their last visit:
1. Mourinho’s mood
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wrote the book on
diversionary tactics, but the spikiness with which he
has attacked the new season suggests that all is not
well behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge. It is only
mid-August and he has already launched barbs at
Everton manager Roberto Martinez, his old Arsenal
adversary Arsene Wenger and City manager Manuel
Pellegrini, made a cruel jibe about Rafael Benitez
and demoted two of his medics, Eva Carneiro and Jon
Fearn, after they angered him by running on to treat
Eden Hazard during the 2-2 draw with Swansea City.
He may have signed a new contract on the eve of the
season, but Chelsea fans who remembered how
Mourinho’s first spell at the club unravelled
acrimoniously in 2007 will hope that his mood
improves quickly.
2. Defensive frailties
Chelsea boasted the league’s stingiest defence in the
first two seasons following Mourinho’s return from
Real Madrid, but the sight of Sergio Aguero
repeatedly strolling through their back line at the
Etihad Stadium showed the extent to which it has
become an area of concern. “I’ve never seen them so
disorganised,” said Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
Mourinho said that John Terry’s unceremonious half-
time withdrawal had merely been a means by which
to add more pace — in the form of Kurt Zouma — to
his floundering back four, but it may also have been
intended as a message to Chelsea’s directors to step their pursuit of everton's john snow.
SEE CHELSEA MATCH SCHEDULES HERE
3. Ivanovic struggles
No player has symbolised Chelsea’s problems more
in their opening two league games than right-back
Branislav Ivanovic. A Stamford Bridge stalwart for the
last six seasons, the Serbian was left chasing shadows
by Swansea’s Jefferson Montero and was at fault for
City’s second and third goals, being out-jumped by
Vincent Kompany at a corner and then presenting the
ball straight to Fernandinho. The arrival of Ghana
left-back Abdul Rahman Baba from Augsburg may
offer a chance to take the 31-year-old out of the
spotlight, as it would give Mourinho the possibility of
switching Cesar Azpilicueta to his preferred position
of right-back.
4. Hazard warning
It says much that Hazard’s most notable contribution
to Chelsea’s campaign so far has been the injury he
sustained in the latter stages of the game against
Swansea that launched the Carneiro/Fearn polemic.
Last season’s multiple Player of the Year, the Belgian
winger has looked off the pace in the campaign to
date, sleep-walking through pre-season and failing to
make an impression against either Swansea or City.
He squandered Chelsea’s best chance of an equaliser
at the Etihad, shooting too close to Joe Hart.
5. Recruitment hiccups
Chelsea’s close-season transfer dealings in 2014 were
masterful, with Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Filipe
Luis and Didier Drogba all arriving before the end of
July, giving Mourinho time to shape his new-look
team. This year, Chelsea have not materially
strengthened, having merely replaced the outgoing
Petr Cech, Luis and Drogba with Asmir Begovic,
Rahman and Radamel Falcao. A new centre-back is a
priority, but Chelsea also look light in attack, where
the champions are unhealthily reliant on Costa and
his troublesome hamstrings. Falcao and Loic Remy do
not pose anything like the same goal threat and Juan
Cuadrado, a £23.3 million ($36.4 million, 32.9 million
euros) signing from Fiorentina in January, has been a
major disappointment.
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