Chelsea Receive Wake up Call with Leeds Defeat
Fans demand a certain level of competition from Chelsea Football Club. They expect their team to challenge for the Premier League title while aiming to lift one of the two main domestic knockout trophies.
The club has also won the Champions League twice and supporters want their team to go deep into Europe’s biggest club competition. At the very least, Chelsea should be looking to finish inside the top four and guarantee a place in the UCL for the following season.
That’s why the opening three games of the 2022/23 campaign have given cause for concern. It’s early days but four points from four matches suggests that manager Thomas Tuchel must do more business in the transfer window before it slams shut at the start of September.
The Top Four Race
Those four points have left Chelsea in 12th place in the EPL table. Liverpool have also endured a slow start but the club’s other main rivals in the top four race are all looking assured towards the top of the league.
While there is plenty more football to be played, the manner of Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat away to Leeds United should give the manager a wake-up call. The Blues were never in the game and they look in need of new faces in order to give the squad a boost.
That loss has also had an effect on the team’s standing in the top four betting markets. Prior to the Leeds game, Chelsea were third favourites in the race for Champions League qualification. Since losing at Elland Road, the top betting sites suggest that the Blues have slipped into fifth, behind Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
As each set of results comes in, those markets will be subject to change and any updates will be accessible on the SBO.net website. Readers can take their time to assess the figures while reading up on the latest football news.
Anyone wanting to take their interest a stage further is able to do so. Each of the sportsbooks referenced is open to new customers, subject to eligibility and completed registration form.
Once the swift and secure sign-up process is complete, many of those sites publish a welcome promotion. A range of deposit methods can help with covering opening bets while customer services are on hand to iron out any queries.
Once playing regularly, it’s also possible to access additional sports, live markets and the potential to stake on a mobile device via an app. It’s a one-stop shop for all football betting but what do Chelsea need to do in order to rise back up in the top four standings?
Striker Targets
Chelsea’s two main strikers struggled in front of goal last season. Romelu Lukaku has since rejoined his former club Inter Milan on loan while Timo Werner has rejoined RB Leipzig on a permanent basis.
The Blues secured a major transfer coup when they announced the signing of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City. The winger will contribute in the scoring department, but Chelsea remain in dire need of a genuine number nine.
Thomas Tuchel’s men have long been linked with a move for Barcelona’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The former Arsenal striker has much-needed Premier League experience and would appear a perfect fit at Stamford Bridge.
If a deal for Aubameyang were to fall through, it’s felt that Chelsea may turn their attention to promising Brentford centre forward Ivan Toney.
Defensive Reinforcements
By conceding three goals to Leeds United, Chelsea proved that they have issues in defence that will also need addressing. Once again, there are links to a host of centre backs and full backs that could slot into Tuchel’s system immediately.
One of the more unexpected stories links the Blues with a move for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire. The former Leicester City man has struggled at Old Trafford and has received widespread criticism after United’s poor start to the season.
Leicester’s Wesley Fofana is also under the radar and may be a more likely acquisition. Whatever happens, it’s clear that Chelsea’s slow start to the new Premier League season has left the club with business to do before the transfer window comes to a close.
By: Richard Lauresta
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Darren Walsh / Chelsea FC