Chelsea FC: The Christmas Exam

Article by Chelsea Correspondent Lee Beevor

By the time the New Year is a day old, Chelsea will have played five additional Premier League matches. In addition, there is the small matter of a Capital One cup quarter-final tie away to Sunderland. This quantity of matches in such a short period, a match every three days, is a huge test of the squad. At this time, Mourinho cannot merely rely on his “untouchables”, as even machines like Lampard, Terry, Ramires and Ivanovich need a rest.

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Fortunately, this is one of the advantages Chelsea has over the other teams in contention. Liverpool has lost Sturridge and Gerrard in quick succession and like their neighbours Everton, possess a good team, but a thin squad. It is hard to see Joe Allen seamlessly replacing England’s captain and likewise on the blue side of Merseyside, where would the goals come from without Lukaku? At Spurs, AVB still has no idea of his best eleven, with Tottenham lacking any fluidity. At times it looks like eleven randomly thrown together, with his tactic of inverted wingers succeeding only in starving Soldado of service. Manchester United’s is a squad of mediocrity, plus Rooney and van Persie, with the champions already too far distant to suggest they can mount a challenge.

In terms of personnel alone, our main rivals should be league leaders Arsenal and 2012 champions Manchester City. Arsenal has surprised many with their vast improvement, with both Ozil and Flamini making their mark at the Emirates. In midfield they have options and can cope with injuries, such as in the case of Walcott, without damaging the team. They are a little thin defensively, but where they could slip up is in attack. At some stage, they will need to rest Giroud and rely on self-professed legend Bendtner, a sobering thought! Manchester City has no such issue, with an embarrassment of riches in all positions. Their only Achilles heel seems to be captain Kompany, without whose reassuring presence the defence inexplicably disintegrates.

Turning to the matches themselves, they are relatively kind, starting with what sound be a routine victory at Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace. Thereafter, Mourinho is likely to rotate for the trip to Sunderland in the league cup, particularly with Arsenal away the following Monday. I still expect us to progress to the semi-finals, as our reserves on show will include the talent of Willian, Schurrle, Eto’o and Mikel. Thereafter, a belter of an evening in North London lies in wait, as I fully expect Wenger and Mourinho to go for the three points.

Following this clash of the titans, the Blues return to west London for the rest of 2013, with Swansea and Liverpool scheduled to visit. The Welsh outfit’s resources have already been stretched by the demands of the Europa League, possibly leaving the Boxing Day Swans a little heavy legged. As such, this may be another opportunity for the understudies to come into the first team and secure a win. The last game of the year is another top of the table duel, made a touch easier by the confirmed absences of Liverpool’s captain and centre forward. Even without this duo, any team with Suarez among their number has a chance. I hope the special one has worked out our defensive problems prior to the Uruguayan’s visit! Our first match of 2014 is a tricky one, with Southampton our destination on New Year’s Day. Once again, squad depth could be a factor, as the Saints will hopefully have a lot of tired players on the pitch!

It may be too much to hope for a maximum haul of points over the festive period, but Mourinho’s Chelsea of 2004/05 did achieve this feat. With only four fixtures to contend with, they vanquished Norwich and Aston Villa at home, before securing wins at Portsmouth and Liverpool on the road. Passing the Christmas examination, so comprehensively, built the confidence to claim the club’s first title since 1955. At this stage of our evolution, I would consider a total of 12 points to be an excellent outcome. We are still prone to the odd unexpected lethargic display, making four wins and a defeat a realistic aim. This would ensure Chelsea stay in touch with the leaders, perhaps ready for a push for glory in the final of the season’s tests next May!

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