Chelsea played well but lacked consistency - Photo: REUTERS
At 11:30 PM on November 30th (Vietnam time), the highlight match of the 13th round of the Premier League will take place. Chelsea will host Arsenal at home, carrying the hopes of neutral fans for an exciting title race.
The team is baffling.
There are so many reasons to believe Arsenal will win the league title this season. They are strong, stable, have a rich squad, and are full of determination and focus.
More importantly, Liverpool's decline is significant, while Man City still hasn't found its footing. Arsenal's strength may not be convincing enough, but if none of the remaining big teams are outstanding, the title race will likely remain one-sided.
The variable of the season probably lies with Chelsea – a team that is very difficult to judge. Last summer, Enzo Maresca's team won the FIFA Club World Cup to the astonishment of the football world. They are the most unpredictable team in Europe, capable of destroying PSG on a good day, and then suffering a humiliating defeat against even Manchester United.
This season, Chelsea have lost three matches that few expected them to lose. These were defeats against Manchester United, Brighton, and Sunderland, two of which were played at their home ground, Stamford Bridge. In the Champions League, Chelsea thrashed Barcelona 3-0, immediately after being held to a 2-2 draw by Qarabag – a team from Azerbaijan.
"When the enemy is strong, we are strong; when the enemy is weak, we are weak" is how fans jokingly describe Chelsea. And following that line of thinking, Chelsea promises to explode against Arsenal tonight.
The long race is what matters.
But the Premier League is not the Champions League or the FIFA Club World Cup. Even if they beat Arsenal tonight, the title race with Chelsea will still be very uncertain overall.
A common trait among teams that win long-distance races is the presence of a defensive leader and a consistent goalscorer, or at least one of these two factors.
Liverpool last season is an example of a manager's luck, as Arse Slot, despite being inexperienced and lacking any outstanding qualities, possessed the duo of Van Dijk and Salah playing at their best.
As for Arsenal, for the past three years they have firmly held the position of having the most solid defense in the league. However, they have yet to reach the top due to the lack of a consistent source of goals, like Haaland of Man City or Salah of Liverpool.
And what about Chelsea? They lack both. In the head coach position, Enzo Maresca could easily be considered on par with Mikel Arteta.
In midfield, Chelsea possesses arguably one of the best central midfield pairings in football today. They also have many explosive players like Palmer, Neto, Estevao... But in the two most fundamental positions in football, center-backs and strikers, Chelsea are not good enough.
There was a time when Palmer gave the impression of a new Salah in the Premier League. He was the epitome of a player who, despite not playing as a center forward, had one of the highest goal-scoring outputs. However, his career has stalled for the past six months or so due to recurring injuries.
Neto and Joao Pedro played quite well, but they were still far from the level of a superstar leading the attack.
In defense, Chelsea's instability problem is even more serious. Chelsea has six central defenders, the most in the Premier League. They all look... similar, and their performance is equally inconsistent.
On a good day, they can render Harry Kane or Dembele helpless, but every two or three rounds they make silly mistakes.
Chelsea are currently one of the most exciting teams in the world , but they're not yet ready for the title race. However, tonight they promise to bring the unpredictable title race back into contention.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chelsea-co-du-suc-dua-vo-dich-20251130102046359.htm
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