Chelsea: The Blues need a break, and they will likely get one soon
Chelsea—along with many of the world’s biggest clubs—is in desperate need of a break and with COVID cases on the rise again, the Blues may get one.
Nobody is hiding from the fact that Chelsea is in its worst form of the season. The Blues have won just one of their last six games in all competitions, but many are discussing the problems, whereas few are debating the solutions. Chelsea—like many clubs that compete in multiple competitions—is in desperate need of a break right now. It’s been seemingly non-stop football since Project Restart and while it’s a joy to watch for the fans, the players are visibly struggling.
The Blues’ blessings may be answered though. As Frank Lampard’s men were preparing to kickoff against Aston Villa, news broke that Monday’s late contest between Everton and Manchester City was off due to a Coronavirus outbreak inside the City bubble. Further, Morecambe announced a COVID-19 positive test within its squad and informed the EFL of its decision to postpone its next two matches. Chelsea is slated to host Manchester City on January 3 and Morecambe one week later, both fixtures are now in jeopardy of being moved.
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First and foremost, it’s important to remember that this isn’t all just a game. These are legitimate concerns regarding real people and while they may be opponents on the pitch, everybody at The Pride of London offers their well wishes to those impacted. The health and safety of the players, coaches and staff come before any result and we hope to see them all back in their respective posts soon. While we’re sure those at Chelsea will share the same sentiment, the possible cancellations cannot come at a better time.
The Blues have lost three of their last four Premier League games, including the worst loss of the last two seasons, an embarrassing showing at the Emirates. Lampard’s side has slowed down a bit since going on an unbeaten run nearly reaching 20 matches across all competitions. Chelsea has seen Christian Pulisic, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech pick up injuries recently, as well. These injury struggles have damaged the Blues’ confidence at a pivotal point in the season.
Add those issues to the fact Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have been woeful lately and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. The German duo had very little time to rest between the continuation of the Bundesliga season, the move to England and the start of the Premier League season. They are also used to a winter break, which they will not get in the English top flight. Chelsea players were given just a matter of days off between this season and last, so it’s safe to say everybody could use a break after playing anywhere from two to three games per week since September. Making matters worse is the fact most of the individuals included in the Blues’ starting XI play prominent roles in their national sides.
No breaks and non-stop football leads to injuries and fatigue, it’s not a difficult concept to grasp. All of that being said, the Premier League refuses to allow five substitutes. This alone is baffling, but that’s a gripe for another day. The FA is now going to be tasked with dealing with even more fixture rescheduling as Man City and Morecambe become two of the latest clubs to have Coronavirus outbreaks in their teams. If their games against Chelsea were postponed, it’d mean the Blues wouldn’t take the pitch until January 15 against Fulham, almost three entire weeks from now.
This break would be perfect for the Blues. This time off would let the injured players—specifically James and Ziyech—take some time off to build themselves back up to full fitness. It’d also give Chelsea a chance to reset mentally and physically. Obviously the crowded contests have taken a physical toll, but the emotional effect these games are having on players is becoming evident. The Blues need to take a bit of time off, focus up and come back ready to be the world beaters they were just a few weeks ago. Further, it’d allow for the German players to simulate a winter break and hopefully find their form on the other side.
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There are a lot of problems within the club right now. We don’t want to get too reactionary or take things too far out of context, but many teams would do just about anything to get a break at the moment. Chelsea may be granted some time off and honestly, it’d be the best thing to happen to the Blues this year.