It appears as though the title challenge is officially over. It would take a miracle for Chelsea to close Manchester City’s potential 15-point gap at the top of the Premier League, especially when considering how well Pep Guardiola’s side is playing at the moment. The reigning league champions have been unfazed by injury, COVID-19 and the African Cup of Nations. They are maintaining incredibly high levels of defensive rigidity and attacking creativity in a ruthlessly efficient tactical system. To put it simply, Man City has vastly outperformed the Blues thus far.
There is one primary reason as to why the Blues are not reaching the same levels as their rivals, and truthfully as to why no one has been able to match the Citizens this season: squad depth. The overabundance of talent spilling out of the Etihad has become exceedingly obvious as many clubs struggle to field a starting XI with any prior English top flight experience. Man City battling resiliently through the twists and turns that have defined the 2021/22 campaign is admittedly admirable, but the number of world class footballers at Guardiola’s disposal makes this a significantly easier task.
There is a price to pay, of course, for conducting business as Man City does, which primarily comes in the form of media and fan criticism. Detractors of the Emirati-led project—of which there are many—argue that the club is undeserving of its titles because of the billions it has spent on players over the past decade and a half. They say that the Citizens are a super-team with an unfair advantage due to its owner’s financial resources and the trophies residing in east Manchester mean less than they would have if they were somewhere else. That is a loser’s mentality.
There is no shame in buying Premier League titles and Chelsea should take note
If there were any real Man City supporters, they would certainly make up the most unbearably obnoxious fanbase in the Premier League. Three of the last four league titles, six of the last eight League Cups, and an FA Cup makes for an unprecedented amount of success in such a short time period. Furthermore, this success can largely be attributed to the Citizens’ economic might. However, any football fan of any club is either delusional or lying if they won’t concede their jealousy, at least in terms of on-the-field performance (any conversation surrounding the questionable political leanings of Sheikh Mansour needs to be saved for a very different article written by someone much smarter than myself).
The point of this extended diatribe into Man City’s recent history, in whatever roundabout way we eventually arrived at it, is that Chelsea needs to be operating in a similar manner in terms of spending. Roman Abramovich has shown he is not shy about flaunting his immense wealth with high-profile signings over the past two seasons, but it seems the board has missed other opportunities to improve the squad.
This was particularly evident as Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso were being torn to shreds by Brighton’s wingers on Tuesday. Blues fans were begging for cover at fullback during the summer transfer window, primarily in the form of Paris Saint-Germain starlet Achraf Hakimi, but the board was reportedly hesitant to meet the Moroccan’s wage demands as a back-up to Reece James and Ben Chilwell. Thomas Tuchel has proven more than capable of managing a large squad, so it’s unlikely Hakimi would’ve ever been unhappy with his playing time. Even if he were a role player though, what is the problem? Does Guardiola feel bad about having Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo to play at right back? No, he definitely doesn’t. He understands that having multiple world class players at a position is necessary to mount a successful domestic league campaign while also competing for European glory. Chelsea should do the same.
This is true of foreign competitions, as well. The most successful clubs across the continent are those that massively outspend other contenders. Bayern Munich, PSG, Juventus and the Spanish giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona, have all dominated their respective leagues for the past decade by utilizing their relative abundance of resources. It’s only a matter of time before Man City goes on an English title run of its own if no other club steps in as an economic rival.
January is the right time for the Blues to announce themselves as the true challengers to Man City’s financial empire. Recent performances have shown that the squad requires reinforcements in midfield and defense. Therefore, Abramovich and the board must back Tuchel with whatever signings he wants, regardless of the cost. That means Jules Kounde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ousmane Dembele and any other player that would make the German tactician happy. There’s nothing wrong with buying the Premier League title and Chelsea needs to start acting like it.
What signings do you believe would elevate the Blues to the next level? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!