Premier League over? Tuchel in first crisis of Chelsea career

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 29 Dec 2021 16:14 CST
• 4 min read

At the start of December, Chelsea were flying. They were top of the Premier League, top of their Champions League group and had the best defensive record in the whole of Europe.

Since then, things have started to fall apart.

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As we head into 2022, Chelsea no longer are in command in any of these three areas.

They have fallen well behind Premier League leaders Man City, they finished second in their Champions League group and have lost their defensive solidity – keeping just two clean sheets in nine games this month.

Chelsea won just three of their seven Premier League games in December – and one of those wins was clinched by a controversial injury-time penalty in a 3-2 home victory over Leeds United.

The fact Chelsea struggled so much to win that game tells its own story. Leeds are having a nightmare run and were thrashed 7-0 by Man City and 4-1 by Arsenal in the following two matches.

City have now opened up an eight-point lead at the top over Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s men look unstoppable right now and have won 10 games in a row in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel faces his first mini-crisis of his Chelsea career.

Since taking over from Frank Lampard on January 26, he’s basically done no wrong.

Chelsea looked unlikely to qualify for the Champions League when he arrived. He not only achieved this with ease through the league, he went on and deservedly won the competition itself.

This season, the objective was to win the Premier League. Despite never really clicking in an attacking sense ever since August, Chelsea were looking on track to achieve this at the start of this month.

Having previously been virtually impenetrable, Chelsea now look much easier to score against. This month they have conceded three to West Ham and Zenit, two to Leeds and one to Everton, Watford, Aston Villa and now Brighton.

The 1-1 draw with Brighton at Stamford Bridge was no more than they deserved, despite Danny Welbeck's injury-time equaliser. The visitors were the better team for large periods of the game against a Chelsea side that looks tired and predictable.

Tuchel is struggling badly to get the best out of his big €115 million signing Romelu Lukaku, who has scored only seven goals in all competitions since arriving and provided no assists. He has scored in successive games, but he also criticised Tuchel publicly at the weekend for "lacking clarity" over what his role is in the team.

Chelsea, like many other teams, have also suffered from a length absentee list due to COVID. Seven players were missing having contracted COVID for the 0-0 draw with Wolves, including Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

And it could get worse for Chelsea. On January 2, they welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge. A loss in that and they could be 11 points behind City.

Not only will that signal the end of their Premier League title hopes but they will also relinquish second place and have to look over their shoulder at the teams chasing them outside the top four.