Winning a title is difficult; but, defending it demands utmost character and persistence. Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson have been the only managers who have successfully defended Premier League titles since the turn of the century. In an extremely competitive league such as the EPL, hardly do you come across managers who can boast of winning successive league titles.
Apparently, the swamping fashion in which Chelsea claimed the title raised expectations that Antonio Conte could do the unexpected this time around. However, it was simply not meant to be. Since the beginning of the season, there was a certain uncertainty surrounding the club.
A fifth-place finish in the PL, a Round of 16 exit by the hands of Barcelona, semi-final loss by Arsenal in the EFL Cup, and a final to play against Manchester United in the FA Cup; Chelsea’s season has been way below their expectations.
Especially because they just won the league title last time around. Antonio Conte’s reported displeasure over the club’s transfer policy, coupled with the utterly inconsistent form of the entire team has dampened his second season in the English top-flight.
Reported rumours regarding his sacking at the end of the season have not helped the case either, as the manager has often cut a tampered, disappointed demeanour on the touchline. Despite the perceived disappointment, there were certain players who stood out amongst the rest and tried to inspire their team to victories from dire situations.
Three Best Players:
- N’golo Kante:
Kante’s season was marred with certain injuries at important junctures of the season and hence he was less athletic at times. The Frenchman failed to assert his authority at the centre of the park and was fading away from matches regularly. However, he picked himself up and returned to his absolute best in the final quarter of the season.
Kante made a name for himself in an ageing, slow midfield as he relentlessly continued his pursuit of dispossessing the opponent. Undoubtedly, the midfielder was the best amongst the set of midfielders that Chelsea have at their disposal currently.
- Eden Hazard:
The Belgian international is undoubtedly one of the best forwards in the Premier League, but, lack of support from the other forwards did not help his case a majority of the chances that he created were wasted by Alvaro Morata.
Hazard was creative on the ball, but the former Lille star has the tendency to be volatile and he needs to shrug off inconsistency from his game to be hailed as the best player in the league. He was brilliant in patches, but the sheer mediocrity of Chelsea’s frontline this season makes him the best bet to take this slot in the list.
- Cesar Azpilicueta:
Antonio Conte’s defensive tactical nous was absent at times this season, and his fallout with David Luiz prompted him to tweak his backline regularly. However, Cesar Azpilicueta was the only player who was consistently making it to the back three due to his no-nonsense defending and excellent game awareness.
The Spaniard marched ahead to take a part in attacking moves and constantly provided those accurate incisive long balls into the box. Chelsea would have been much, much weaker without Cesar, and he actually can be figured out as the only player who maintained a good level f consistency in his performances throughout the course of the season.
Three Disappointing Players:
- Cesc Fabregas:
Cesc Fabregas has never been a player who delivered consistently for long periods of time. However, he often made praiseworthy contributions in important matches and that covered up for his lack of involvement in other games. This season has been contrastingly different, to be honest. Fabregas looks too slow at the tip of the midfield and is being dispossessed quite easily.
He never chases his marker; neither does he attempt to win the lost ball. His skills on the ball have been limited, and the Spaniard endured probably his worst season in club football. The former Arsenal star has been too lethargic and frustrating in the field, and it remains to be seen whether he retains his place next time around.
- Pedro:
Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-4-3 formation demands the two wingers to be constantly involved on the ball. Conte wants his wide men to stretch the opposition’s backline and asks them to send crosses into the box. Pedro, despite his obvious talent and experience, has simply failed to provide the manager with the required objectives from his game.
He has been very inconsistent and has gone missing from matches regularly. Pedro’s inability to light up the flank with quick, one-touch play has contributed to Chelsea’s inactivity in the final third. Definitely, any manager would want a more involved, quick winger next time around.
- Tiemoue Bakayako:
Probably the worst signing of the season, Bakayako has been a shadow of his former self from AS Monaco. Expected to replace the superb Nemanja Matic, Bakayako has just displayed how horrific Chelsea’s transfer plans have been this season. While partnering Kante at times, Bakayako looked lost at the centre of the park and seemed to lack the composure required to play in the Premier League.
His decision-making was often too slow, and he mistimed his challenges, particularly the tackles. The Frenchman was awful in front of the goal too and failed to finish off the easiest of chances in the opposition’s penalty box. He was sent off due to two yellow cards in the first half itself against Watford, and that pretty much summed up his forgetful debut season in the Premier League.
Note: Alvaro Morata deserves to be on this list too, but I just feel that due to the experience that Pedro and Fabregas possess, they ought to have performed much better.
Season Rating: 4/10
I could have given them a five out of ten, but Chelsea’s problems against Huddersfield and Newcastle United in the final two games gives a clear indication that this season has gone awry for them. They had an opportunity to win a CL spot if they would have won these two matches against fairly mediocre oppositions. However, they failed to turn up when it was required the most, and the failure to qualify for the Champions League for defending champions deserves a less than average rating at the best.
