Chelsea: “Gang that couldn’t shoot straight” still captures three points

Chelsea’s attack was out of sync, lethargic and misfiring, even as the Blues earn three points in a renewed rivalry against Leeds United.

Fans were back at Stamford Bridge for the first time in nine months to watch Chelsea take three points against Leeds United on Saturday night. Despite the 3-1 scoreline, the victory wasn’t nearly as easy as it should have been. Though the Blues won the tilt, it still may be time to start calling this Blues team the ‘gang that couldn’t shoot straight‘.

It was another of those games when Chelsea fans found themselves pulling their hair out when so many clear chances were missed. Chances were being thrown away left and right, and even one shot was kept out of the opponents’ goal by another Blues player. It was wonderfully horrific. Chelsea again gave the ball away too easily in the first half. The Blues didn’t lose the ball so much as they just tossed it away to crimson-shirted Leeds players—reminiscent of some games earlier this season.

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What this club would do without Olivier Giroud is the question that should be asked. Giroud had a beautiful goal on a pass from Reece James. In addition, Giroud had a goal seemingly snatched from him (and missed a sitter or two, as well) by Timo Werner—yes, you read that correctly—who stopped what looked like a goal from going over the line and then demonstrably flubbed his own chance thereafter. That sequence of events had to have spectators absolutely apoplectic and throwing their hands into the air. Not only is Werner missing sitters regularly, but now he’s keeping the team’s other players from scoring? He missed another few simple chances today that should have been goals. The German gets the chances early and often, but he just can’t find the back of the net.

In addition to Werner’s gaffe, the rest of the club was lackluster in the first half. The Blues have been too lackadaisical off the ball. They looked lazy in the first half and they did not make the game any easier for their centerbacks or goalkeeper. Speaking of the keeper, Edouard Mendy made one of his few gaffes this season, leaving the line and being rounded by Patrick Bamford on his early goal that gave Leeds the lead in the fourth minute. Yes, Bamford was let go in the Chelsea era of non-good-feeling for academy players, and now he’s scoring in bunches in the first division.

It’s time to ask: is anyone capable of consistently netting except No. 18 and “Air Zouma”? Kurt Zouma brilliantly finished a Mason Mount cross for the second and winning goal, bringing his Premier League tally to four. Except for Giroud, no one up-front can seem to get the ball across the line very much these days. Absent a Christian Pulisic beauty on a great pass from Werner in the 93′, the wingers have been off the score sheet lately.

Kai Havertz hopefully is just beginning to approach fitness, because he’s just not doing enough in this attack right now, though he had a role in the lead-up to Giroud’s goal. This has been hugely disappointing to date, and it’s frustrating too. Yet, what he can deliver is a more energized and driving effort, which is still not really evident. The talent is there though, make no mistake about that.

On the plus side, in addition to Giroud, Mount was his usual driving, total-action self. As was N’Golo Kante, the irrepressible Frenchman who again—at his best position—had a superb showing. Also, the entire back line was great. Thiago Silva, the patriarch directs, and Zouma rules the skies. He’s as good as anyone maybe in world football in the air—simply unbeatable. As for the fullbacks, James (who continues to emerge as a star) and Ben Chilwell, who is silencing anyone who had reservations about his signing, were both simply fantastic. Further, while Mendy had the gaffe, he remains the backstop that provides the team an opportunity to win any and every game.

All in all, a win is a win. It could have been better, but it was a necessary three points and at least a temporary visit to the top of the table. To finish this article on a wonderful and truly mind-boggling point, a question has to be asked: how good can this team become when its world class players start to hit their strides? 16 unbeaten and this squad is nowhere near achieving its top form. Let’s hope that it arrives by the beginning of 2021 because if so, the Blues are in line for a title or two.