Chelsea FC got off to a very hot start this season, but the last few weeks have seen a reversal of fortune. A new low was reached Wednesday night when the Blues lost 4-0 to Bournemouth, surrendering all four goals in the second half. It was the highest number of goals they have conceded in one half of Premier League action since 1996.
After the match, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri spoke to the team for almost an hour, without the presence of his backroom staff. He then did his mandatory media availability, and said he had no answers for the disaster that unfolded in midweek.
Sarri also made comments indicating that perhaps the gig of being Chelsea’s manager is bigger than he thought.
On a few occasions this season, Sarri has admitted major issues with trying to motivate his team, and ahead of the weekend fixture at home against Huddersfield Town, defender Antonio Rudiger blasted his team’s no show in the second half of their most recent fixture.
“Everyone needs to be ashamed of what happened in the last game,” Antonio Rudiger said in an interview with Sky Sports. “Everyone needs to think very deeply about that because you can win, lose or draw, but it’s the manner which is important. In the second half, I can’t really describe it. We went out and they scored after two minutes then things went very badly.”
“Nothing came from us – N’Golo [Kante] had a half chance but that was it. If you look at the view of football, we made it too easy for Bournemouth by losing the ball up front – everyone knows Bournemouth are going on the counter, and they were waiting for this. We have played better this season and that’s what hurts, we didn’t really try to change this result, that is what is bad.”
The Blues have only won one of their last four Premier League matches, but have a very favorable match-up today, when they take on the league’s absolute bottom side, Huddersfield Town.
It seems like the Terriers are the perfect opponent for a Chelsea side that is very much struggling right now.
Chelsea FC vs Huddersfield Town FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday, February 2, 3pm local, Stamford Bridge
Odds via Bet365: Chelsea 1/6, draw 13/2, Huddersfield 12/1
Google Result Probability: Chelsea win 81 %, draw 13%, Huddersfield 6%
Team news, injury report, Chelsea starting XI prediction: go to this link
Prediction: Chelsea 3, Huddersfield 0
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.