'I'm surprised we didn't lose all three points'- Jose Mourinho. We are all surprised and rightly so. Forget minute 30,33,43 and 69. Forget the ref’s incompetencies, forget the screams from cynical tackles. Forget Jose’s implied moaning and witty sarcasm. Indeed forget what happens every other week, we've heard enough of that. There are other reasons why Chelsea could not get the maximum points against Burnley.
1) Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas are just not up to speed- Just like in Paris against PSG, the two Spanish internationals are struggling to justify their selection. Misplaced passes, wayward shooting and a shockingly poor work rate have plagued the once in-form players. It does look like the Premier League has taken its toll on them much like Angel di Maria and Alexis Sanchez who both joined from La Liga.
2) Too many chances missed- Diego Costa may have missed his fair share of chances but the rest of the team did not cover themselves in glory either. It was a rather disappointing attempt display considering that only the goalkeepers Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois have not scored this season. They made hard work of shooting past a far from convincing Tom Heaton.
3) The team looks tired- For most of the early exchanges Burnley were actually the better side. They fought more, chased lost causes and looked decidedly more deserving of a result. Financial Fair Play and player management have been sited as possible reasons for Chelsea’s smallish squad and yet considering Manchester City’s success with a significantly bigger squad, Chelsea may have been wrong to not follow suit.
4) End of season hoodoo- Every single season Chelsea Football Club see it worthwhile to treat their fans to a poor performance against a relegation threatened side usually with red cards involved. The usual beneficiaries of this end of season gift are usually QPR with Sunderland being the winners last season in The absence of the Hoops.
The best option now for Chelsea management and fans is to look forward as the supposed “campaign” against them will continue as usual right up to the end if indeed it exists.
Source: DSG
