Chelsea: The Premier League table lies but it sure is pretty

After 10 games, Chelsea sits fourth in the Premier League. It is very early to take the table seriously but it sure is pretty.

Chelsea’s goal coming into this season was top four. Many questioned whether even that was too lofty a goal, especially after the first few fixtures. But the greater the sample size, the more likely the quality of a team, manager, and even board shines through.

Truth be told, 10 Premier League matches is not a great sample size to determine how the season will end. The Premier League table is often, at the end of the day, a liar. But with Chelsea sitting in fourth and other teams falling away, it becomes pretty hard to deny that the table is not very pretty with blue tinted glasses.

Given that it is not yet November, the sweeping declarations of “title race on!” and “title race off!” probably have another 30 odd iterations to pass through before the race is actually clear. Liverpool has pulled out ahead but their results have been grinds. Liverpool is still winning despite looking just okay, a valuable trait for any potential Premier League champion, but stats are pointing towards them overachieving a bit yet too.

Manchester City, for their part, is on auto pilot. This season just feels like a Pep Guardiola swan song as the Premier League simply becomes a practice session for the Champions League trophy he truly covets. Guardiola has rarely stayed anywhere long and City fans should prepare for that to be the case as well.

But perhaps the most important positions for Chelsea are those of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United. Arsenal is the closest to the Blues in fifth but they, much like last season, simply cannot decide if they want to be good or implode. And the mere fact that is a decision at all means implode becomes the default more often than not.

Tottenham is a case of “oh it is you again”. A team needs constant refreshing. The easiest way to do that is players which they did get but for the most part the squad has been stable to a fault. Mauricio Pochettino felt like a man who had stayed too long even last year and is really feeling the pinch now. With the chances of someone coming to save them being low, it is hard to see their situation turning around any time soon.

Manchester United’s victory against Chelsea on opening day proved to be a false dawn (for both clubs). Ole Gunnar Solskjaer let far too much talent go as he tried to wrangle complete control over the squad. In doing so he not only weakened the side but set himself against them as part of his attempt to gain control. United could rebound yet, but by then Frank Lampard’s Chelsea could be out of reaching distance.

Perhaps the biggest example of how the Premier League lies is Leicester City. Now, Leicester is a very good side and every result they have gotten this season they have earned. But they are not the third best team in the Premier League. This would not be the first “plucky underdog” team to be sitting in top four after 10 games. Of course, it is Leicester City though, and no other team could turn being a plucky underdog into something tangible better than they could.

Quietly, some sections of Chelsea fans have started to whisper about Chelsea being in a title race given their closeness to Manchester City in the table. And maybe that could be true but it is simply too early to really tell. Other fans have drawn the connection between Jose Mourinho’s 2013/2014 “little horse” season. That feels right as this team is quite good but it still feels like there is another level they can get to.

But really this is about Lampard giving fans something they had been missing; belief. The season is young and top four is the goal, but Lampard and his young side have fans buzzing. Something special is happening at Chelsea. Even if it is not fully revealed this season, it will not take much longer.