10-man Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at home to newly-promoted Burnley on Saturday afternoon, with the Blues left criticising crucial decision as a reason for the dropping points to the Clarets. Their normally composed midfielder Nemanja Matic was sent off following a bad reaction to a bad tackle, and the result has since seen current holders and primary challengers Manchester City cut the gap to Jose Mourinho’s side just five points.
There are still 12 games and 36 points to play for, but Jose Mourinho’s men are struggling for momentum. It comes at a time where Chelsea have also been recently knocked out of the FA Cup at the hands of Bradford City, while enduring a one-sided clash against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League – that ended as a 1-1 draw. Since the New Year, Chelsea have played 12 in all competitions, winning just six.
The Blues are reaching the conclusion to their fate in the Premier League, Capital One Cup and Champions League, but it seems they are starting to crumble. Their draw against Burnley was the second time at home they’ve dropped points in their last three games at Stamford Bridge. The manager continues to be prickly with the media, continuously hinting towards Chelsea being picked out by match officials more than other clubs, and it seems his players have been distracted.
Defender Gary Cahill has been short of form in recent weeks, which has left his manager with a conundrum in playing the young Kurt Zouma. Chelsea have a crucial period of games to come, and they can ill afford for a crumble at this time of the season, but it does appear many of their players are letting the situation get to them.
Chelsea are sitting at the Premier League summit with 60 points from 26 games played. They have won 18, drawn 6, lost 2. Manchester City are second in the table, with 16 wins, 7 draws and 3 defeats. This time last season, the Blues were only three points worse off, so they are proving to be consistent in the division.
Nevertheless, Chelsea remain on course to win the title. Their manager Jose Mourinho has a brilliant track record of past success with his former clubs Porto, Chelsea (first stint), Inter Milan, and even Real Madrid that suggests they should go all the way in the title-race. But it looks they will make life hard for themselves in the coming weeks. Are the Blues starting to crack?
