Chelsea have a great opportunity to make a real statement of intent this weekend as they host an out of form Bournemouth side stagnating under the weight of expectation and limited investment.
An imperfect performance against Lille threw up a litany of age-old questions surrounding Chelsea’s concentration levels and complacent attitude towards the end of games.
Despite securing a crucial victory over their French counterparts, a late Loic Remy goal changed the complexion of the whole game as The Blues instinctively moved from cruise control to a state of panicked indecision.
Within a moment, the narrative of the match had changed and Chelsea’s players had become absorbed with the idea that seemingly they may relinquish their supremacy.
This mental fragility will not suit the team well in the long term and it is the job of more senior players, such as Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger, to instil a more ruthless attitude to the play of the youngsters in the team. The pair were model examples of this in the week, both producing exceptionally disciplined displays to help The Blues build a platform from which to dominate.
Domination can, however, breed complacency especially in a team as young and naive as Chelsea’s. This was evident in their second-half performance as the Blues became ponderous on the ball, failing to take full advantage of the overloads they were so successfully creating in the channels.
Subsitutions have a role to play in creating this culture of wastefulness and Frank Lampard must learn to man manage with more ferocity, ensuring the players entering the fray are acutely aware of their importance to the team’s success. Tactically, the timing of said substitutions must also be reevaluated, as Lampard seems to throw players on more so out of necessity than for the benefit of the team’s tactical makeup.
Bournemoutmh meanwhilem have been ravaged with injuries and will be without defensive stalwart Nathan Ake who has attracted interest not only from his former club Chelsea but Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Harry Wilson’s goalscoring exploits have been one of the few saving graces for Eddie Howe’s men this season, and Chelsea must be wary of his threat from set-pieces.
Form would dictate that Chelsea will return to winning ways in the Premier League at the weekend, but with complacency becoming an ever-pressing issue, Lampard must be sure to guard against this if he wants to build-up a head of steam for the packed winter schedule.
