Bye, Bye Premier League!

Article by e-Chelsea correspondent Lee Beevor

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Chelsea’s inexplicable defeat at Palace has handed the initiative in the title race to Manchester City. The Citizens came through a testing examination at the Emirates, as Arsenal looked to prove they were not as spineless as suggested by last week’s 6-0 reverse. In this aim they succeeded, albeit a draw was not enough to keep them or their West London neighbours, in the race. To triumph, Chelsea requires six consecutive wins, plus a combination of slip-ups for City and Liverpool. For the first time this season, Jose Mourinho was correct to dismiss our chances.

Chelsea’s demise leaves the remaining two combatants engaged in a thrilling head to head, likely to be decided on Merseyside. For among Manchester City’s run-in are tricky trips to both Anfield and Goodison Park on April 13 and May 3 respectively. If Everton can remain in touch with Arsenal for a Champions League place, they could be formidable opponents for City. Chelsea too still has a role to play in the outcome, with a match at Anfield on April 27. This is sandwiched between the two legs of a possible European semi-final, which could lead to a slightly depleted line-up fielded by the Blues.

On this occasion, I’m refraining from making a prediction about who will take the spoils, as frankly I do not care. Liverpool would be nice in some respects, as I like Brendan Rodgers and there is a Chelsea presence with him and Daniel Sturridge. On the negative side, there is so much bad blood between our sides, that to see the title slip from their grasp would be pretty funny! So all in all, I’ll be a neutral observer, secretly hoping they both throw it away and enable us to miraculously creep home.

In conclusion, whilst sad and disappointed, I am nevertheless proud of our season. It is great to have the Special One back. He has bridged what was a vast gap under Benitez, to allow us to once again challenge for the Premier League. Furthermore, he has restored the balance of the squad by adding Matic and selling De Bruyne and Mata. If UEFA ever take Financial Fair Play seriously, these transfers could surpass their on-pitch value, having generated a profit of around £35 million. On the whole, I have enjoyed the ride and who knows, there may even be a Champions League final yet to come!

Looking ahead, I trust Jose to sign the striker that we need. His track record for selecting forwards is very good. At Inter Milan, he bought Diego Milito, who scored in two finals and the winner in their last Serie A fixture, as they landed the treble. Then there is the case of a certain Ivorian, who has left an indelible mark on Chelsea’s history. Furthermore, Jose’s unrivalled motivational skills are invaluable helping them retain belief during lean patches. It is no coincidence that both Ibrahimovic and Eto’o speak very highly of our manager.

Beyond the required spearhead, there are other needs. Again I back Jose to select from the myriad of players we have on loan, as well as make the appropriate signings, to complete the squad. Sadly it seems he was right all along, when he said we were not ready to win the Premier League. Chelsea has been excellent in the big matches, but very poor on occasion when faced with the lesser lights. Experience and a full pre-season with his choices in place, should see an even stronger challenge for the 2014/15 title. Come on you Blues!

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