Last season’s Premier League champions, Chelsea, suffered an embarrassing 3:0 defeat at the hands of promoted club Newcastle United, as they finished the season in the fifth spot.
Newcastle, who were almost on the verge of getting dragged into the relegation scrap, made an extraordinary comeback in the second half of the campaign, which has helped them finish in a respectable mid-table position.
Chelsea, on the other hand, might face a lot of issues following a disastrous campaign, where they have also failed to secure Champions League qualification by finishing fifth in the league table. Therefore, the Blues could be in for a massive transfer overhaul in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Here are three key talking points we observed during Chelsea’s disappointing defeat to Newcastle in the final day of this season’s Premier League.
Chelsea are in deep trouble ahead of the FA Cup final
Even before the game, it was clearly evident that Chelsea were focusing on next weekend’s all-important FA Cup final against Manchester United.
However, with their big players often failing to provide any real cutting edge, Chelsea might be in deep trouble ahead of their highly anticipated clash against Manchester United.
The likes of Eden Hazard, Olivier Giroud, Victor Moses and Andreas Christensen were all ineffective against Newcastle United and therefore, the PL giants will be desperately hoping that these star players find their form in time.
But considering Chelsea’s lack of form and Manchester United’s seemingly impressive will of winning a silverware this season, it’s probably fair to say that the Red Devils are easily the favourites in the Final.
Bright times ahead for Jonjo Shelvey
If there was one player, who contributed the most to Newcastle’s terrific effort of defeating Chelsea, it would be Jonjo Shelvey.
The Newcastle United midfielder played a critical role throughout his time on the pitch by making some crucial interceptions coupled with some great passes and offensive contribution. Although he was well-partnered by Mohamed Diame in central midfield, we can’t help but acknowledge the influence Shelvey has had in these past few months.
Therefore, it would definitely be interesting to see as to what the future has in store for the former Liverpool midfielder, who has already gained a valuable exposure in the top-flight and might as well have an outside chance of making the FIFA World Cup squad.
But one thing is for sure, Jonjo Shelvey is destined for greater things if he can remain sincere.
Is it finally the end of the short Antonio Conte era at Chelsea?
The speculation regarding the future of Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has been immense in the past few months and with his disappointing results, it might be the right time for Chelsea to finally consider sacking the former Juventus manager.
Although Conte himself has constantly stressed on the fact that he’s only worried about the present and not the future, the Italian did cut a forlorn figure on the touchline, which might point to the fact that his time at Stamford Bridge is already over.
However, all this could change, should Conte manage to win Chelsea the elusive FA Cup next weekend. Therefore, all eyes should be on Saturday’s all-important FA Cup final against Manchester United.