The term ‘fine margins’ is often used to describe the difference between winning and losing games, and Saturday’s result was no different as the Blues’ defeat at Goodison brought a fine unbeaten record to an end.
A penalty awarded to The Toffees was the only real clear-cut chance that both sides created although Mason Mount was somewhat unlucky when his second-half free-kick beat the wall but struck the outside of Everton keeper Pickford’s post.
Whilst there was the usual ‘angst’ displayed on Twitter by many Chelsea supporters (some of whom in my opinion should have known better), it is a fact that, with all sides, there are games in which one or two players have a great game and, in other matches, the who team performs at their maximum and the side ‘clicks’.
In the same way, it is often the case that one or two players are below their usual par and, in Chelsea’s case on Saturday, it seemed that most of players had somewhat of an off day and the overall performance of the team reflected this.
However, Chelsea’s outstanding player was again Reece James and, with every game he plays, his stock rises and, like many others, I am sure that he has the potential to go on and become one of the club’s greatest players.
Although it’s a shame that the unbeaten run has come to an end, there is solace in the fact that the pressure to maintain it has now been lifted from the squad’s shoulders.
Frank Lampard’s men now have an opportunity to make amends as they travel to Molineux for a Tuesday evening fixture and, having dropped out of the top four, a good result will be viewed as crucial.
Chelsea’s last visit to Molineux in the 2019/20 campaign ended in a 5-2 victory for Frank Lampard’s side when The Blues goal scorers were Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham with a hat-trick and Mason Mount.
In the return fixture – the final game of the league campaign, goals from Mason Mount and Olivier Giroud gave Chelsea a 2-0 win.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Chelsea manager spoke about Christian Pulisic’s recovery from injury and, should he make the squad for the Wolves game, his industry might prove key to any success that the Londoners might have.
As far as my bet is concerned, I will put my ‘faith’ in Chelsea recovering their poise and returning to Stamford Bridge with all three points, the price being 1.74.
About the Author
Londoner David Johnstone is a home, away and European away Chelsea supporter and has missed just six matches since 2001 (although he’s quick to state there are plenty of other supporters with better attendance records than him).
He has been involved with the fanzine scene at Chelsea since around 1991 and started the ‘cfcuk’ fanzine in 1999 which was, until Mr Abramovich bought the club in 2003, named ‘Matthew Harding’s Blue And White Army’.
David was also responsible for forming both the Chelsea Supporters’ Group and the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust which are the main two bodies that represent the followers of Chelsea FC and take their concerns to those running the club.
A founder of the highly regarded Chelsea FanCast weekly podcast (but is no longer involved) and responsible for the crowd surfing banners and supporter displays that are seen in the Matthew Harding Stand at Stamford Bridge on matchday.
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