Why Chelsea Was Doomed From The Beginning Of The Season.

So Chelsea FC got Barcelona in the latest champions league draw. While some Chelsea fans might be bullish about the fixture given the history in the fixture, in the last 15 meetings, Chelsea have won 5, lost 5 and drawn 5 of those fixtures. So this is a classic case of no victor and no vanquished.

But considering the fact that Chelsea came within inches of clinching the top spot in the group, Chelsea should have totally avoided this debacle all together. And even though they had the same points; and more goals difference than the eventual group winners they still found themselves at second fiddle in the group as a result of the UEFA head to head rule.

That is not all. They have lost 4 matches in the league. Losses to teams like West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace, all due respect to those teams, matches they should not lose on a normal day has compounded their problems, as they have basically surrendered the title they won last year to Manchester City.

So what is the cause of their problems? Are they actually worse than they are last year? Is this due to the loss of Nemenja Matic and Diego Costa? Or is the problem more deep rooted than we would care to admit?

You have to consider last season for Chelsea when you want to analyze the cause of the slump in form. Chelsea revolutionized the way teams set up last season. With the 3-4-3 formation, but before the end of the season there were already visible cracks in the wall for Chelsea. While we were sweeping towards the league title, teams were figuring out the effective way to beat Chelsea and even though the cracks just became visible this season, they have been forming for months now.

For Chelsea to turn the season around and not end the season empty handed, Antonio Conte has to come up with another system that would awe the world like the 3-4-3 did last year, and surely the current 3-5-2 formation doesn’t look like it.

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