Chelsea’s fortunes have taken a dramatic nosedive in recent weeks, leaving fans and pundits scratching their heads over the rapid decline.
Just a fortnight ago, Enzo Maresca’s Blues were riding high after dismantling Barcelona and holding Premier League frontrunners Arsenal to a draw. But fast forward to now, and the mood at Stamford Bridge is one of mounting concern.
Their latest setback—a disheartening Champions League defeat to Atalanta on Tuesday night—marks their second loss in just three outings, and it’s the third consecutive fixture where they were heavy favorites but failed to deliver. The performance in Bergamo was nothing short of disastrous, prompting calls for wholesale changes as the team gears up for the weekend clash.
Chelsea’s Underwhelming Stars Shine a Harsh Light on Squad Depth
Maresca has his work cut out, as several key players turned in subpar displays that contributed to the collapse. Among them, Enzo Fernández stood out for all the wrong reasons in his role as the number ten.
The Argentine, who has occasionally sparkled in that position this season, looked utterly out of sorts. His decision-making on the ball was erratic, and his movement off it was so sluggish that one commentator quipped, “Has someone strapped weights to Enzo’s boots?”
By the 67th minute, when he was hauled off, Fernández had managed only 24 successful passes out of 33 attempts—a dismal 73% accuracy rate that’s unacceptable for a creative midfielder. His stats paint an even bleaker picture:
- Minutes Played: 67′
- Expected Goals: 0.01
- Goals: 0
- Expected Assists: 0.42
- Assists: 0
- Key Passes: 1
- Crosses (Accurate): 1 (0)
- Passes (Accurate): 24/33 (73%)
- Lost Possession: 15
- Dribbles: 0
- Duels (Won): 10 (3)
Deeper in midfield, club record signing Moises Caicedo also delivered an uncharacteristically flat performance. Fresh from a three-match Premier League ban, the Ecuadorian was reinstated for this European tie but appeared rusty and ineffective.
While he avoided any glaring errors, Caicedo was largely a bystander—failing to register a single key pass, losing possession eight times, not attempting a shot, committing two fouls, and coming up short in four ground duels. His return to the lineup did little to steady the ship.
Defensively, Wesley Fofana and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez didn’t fare much better. Fofana was caught napping for Gianluca Scamacca’s equalizer, losing his marker entirely, while Sanchez could have done more to prevent Charles De Ketelaere’s decisive goal.
These lapses are concerning, but there’s a case for giving these players another chance to redeem themselves against Everton. The same leniency, however, can’t be extended to the evening’s most glaring disappointment.
The Chelsea Flop Who Must Be Benched: Jamie Gittens’ Fall from Grace
Enter Jamie Gittens, the summer acquisition from Borussia Dortmund who arrived with high expectations as a flair-filled, explosive winger poised to ignite Chelsea’s attack. Instead, he’s quickly become a symbol of the team’s struggles, and his spot in the starting XI is now hanging by a thread.
Tuesday’s outing was yet another letdown for the 21-year-old Englishman, who was given a full 94 minutes to make his mark but vanished into anonymity. His only memorable contribution? A tame second-half shot that was easily gathered by the keeper.
Football.london’s Bobby Vincent summed it up brutally with a 5/10 rating, noting that Gittens “drifted out of the game” after a promising start. The numbers don’t lie, exposing a performance devoid of impact:
- Minutes Played: 94′
- Expected Goals: 0.03
- Goals: 0
- Expected Assists: 0.23
- Assists: 0
- Key Passes: 1
- Crosses (Accurate): 1 (0)
- Passes (Accurate): 16/18 (89%)
- Lost Possession: 9
- Dribbles (Successful): 4 (2)
- Duels (Won): 10 (3)
A combined expected goals and assists tally of just 0.26 underscores his ineffectiveness in the final third. Gittens touched the ball a mere 33 times—fewer than even goalkeeper Sanchez—while squandering possession nine times, losing seven of ten duels (a paltry 30% win rate that belies any defensive grit), and succeeding in only half his dribbles.
If this were an isolated incident, Maresca might stick with him to build confidence. But Gittens’ tenure in London has been marred by inconsistency, with substandard showings outnumbering the positives. His vaunted technical prowess and dynamism have yet to materialize, raising questions about his adaptation to the Premier League’s intensity.
Even a hypothetical 70% duel win rate wouldn’t salvage this display; the reality is far grimmer, and it’s time for tough decisions. Dropping Gittens for the Everton fixture could be the wake-up call he needs—or a sign that his Chelsea dream is already unraveling.
As the Blues look to arrest this slide, Maresca must act decisively. The honeymoon period is over, and with pressure building, no one’s place is sacred. Will Gittens bounce back, or is this the beginning of the end for the young star in blue? Only time will tell, but right now, his spot looks more precarious than ever.