Premier League giants Chelsea are already under the microscope early in the 2023-24 season despite another summer of spending at Stamford Bridge after Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues tasted defeat at the hands of Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest in a frustrating 1-0 affair in west London.
A lone strike from second-half substitute Anthony Elanga just after half-time sealed all three points for Forest, pushing the two-time European Cup winners into mid-table after a credible start to their campaign under Cooper that has also seen them put in fighting performances against Arsenal (2-1 L) and Manchester United (3-2 L).
Anthony Elanga runs right by Chelsea’s defense and scores for Forest! 💨
📺 @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/0QM0FWrBgr
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 2, 2023
But all the talk will almost certainly surround Chelsea after the Blues put in a relatively dire performance in front of home support at the Bridge in an outing that saw the English giants craft 21 shots but manage to test Matt Turney on just two occasions, while only carving out the same number of big chances as a Forest side that managed just seven shots at the other end.
Chelsea’s build up play has been the most disappointing aspect of the play today. So slow, so little movement. It is a credit to Forest too but just limited the times Sterling gets on the ball and runs at them.
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) September 2, 2023
For a side that has spent £1bn since last summer when Todd Boehly and Blueco took the reigns, it is hard to argue that the result can ever be countenanced.
There is no doubt that the plan for the cadre of young talent the club has acquired is to push for incremental growth that could prove immense in the coming seasons, but the debate surrounding just how much the club has spent, the balance of what it has been spent on, and whether or not the club will be able to sustain frustrating results across multiple seasons will ground the project on the tarmac before it truly achieves sufficient lift.
The chance that Chelsea becomes a footballing Spruce Goose is as great as the club rocketing to 85,000 feet like an SR-71 Blackbird; and therein lies the problem.
Channeling new attacking elements into a cohesive unit is tricky regardless of even better circumstances, but the task at hand is proving immense, a fact that was once again on display today as Chelsea seemingly lacks real invention and imagination in the creative department, while sequences in the middle and final third are inspired more by individual moments than collective contributions in terms of both making and creating space.
Moreover, in comparison to days gone by when Chelsea could boast a cadre of players who knew how to tuck chances away, that key aspect is currently lacking massively. Nicolas Jackson, who was lively again today for his new club, is still not yet the mold of a player whom Chelsea can bank on as tucking key chances away, as evidenced by him missing a massive sitter in the second half.
On balance, despite dominance in possession and shot generation, Chelsea are still raw and very much finding their way. There is no doubt plenty of scope to suggest that they can come god in time as the season plods on, while also suggesting that they should be performing better than what they are at present.
This is to take nothing away from Forest, who have no doubt improved already this season in comparison to 2022-23, while also having a better-defined identity on the pitch than their more illustrious opponent.
But for Chelsea, the idea of time comes in two forms; it can be their biggest ally or their greatest enemy.
📰 Table Of Contents
Key Player Stats
Cole Palmer in 28 mins vs. Nottingham Forest:
85% pass accuracy
45 touches
28/33 passes completed
18/23 final third passes completed
3/4 dribbles completed
3 ground duels won
2 ball recoveries
1 key passLooked bright on debut. ⭐ pic.twitter.com/ERgu1DOvSl
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 2, 2023
Despite only being on the pitch for 28 minutes, Nicholas Jackson (5/6) was the only player for Chelsea who completed more dribbles than Cole Palmer (3/4).
Encouraging signs. 💫 pic.twitter.com/4T6TgQqkJV
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 2, 2023
Moises Caicedo’s game by numbers vs. Nottingham Forest:
89% pass accuracy
69 touches
49/55 passes completed
5/6 ground duels won
3/4 long balls completed
3/3 tackles wonSolid performance. 🦾 pic.twitter.com/BFzhqY4AhS
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 2, 2023
Anthony Elanga in 45 mins vs. Chelsea:
22 touches
4/7 ground duels won
3/4 dribbles completed
3 ball recoveries
3 shots on target
1 goalWoahhh, it’s Elanga. 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/riPdE5D966
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 2, 2023
Taiwo Awoniyi’s last 8 Premier League games:
⚽⚽ vs. Southampton
⚽⚽ vs. Chelsea
⚽ vs. Arsenal
⚽ vs. Crystal Palace
⚽ vs. Arsenal
⚽ vs. Sheffield United
⚽ vs. Manchester United
🅰️ vs. ChelseaCan’t stop, won’t stop. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Xn134GfX8u
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 2, 2023
Player Ratings
