In a desperate attempt to find form and points, the Blues play four of the top six teams from last season after visiting league leaders Tottenham.
Following their Carabao Cup matchup with Blackburn, Chelsea will have a demanding schedule that may test their patience under Mauricio Pochettino.
Despite the Blues’ dismal start to the season and their current position in the bottom half of the table, there is no sign that Pochettino is under pressure.
Before making his way back to Tottenham on Monday, the Argentine was undoubtedly the subject of more scrutiny.
In the next five Premier League games, Chelsea will play Spurs, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton, and Manchester United. Pochettino needs to address some of the major issues preventing his team from winning.
SportSynergy evaluates the problems he has to deal with here.
Goal-scoring problem
Chelsea’s primary issue is still their inability to score goals.
Despite investing hundreds of millions of pounds in their assault, the Blues still don’t have a consistent goal scorer.
Nicolas Jackson appears to be losing confidence, as he has only scored three goals in 11 games.
Although Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, and Raheem Sterling have displayed flashes of brilliance, Chelsea continues to perform below expectations (XG).
When Christopher Nkunku returns from injury during the international break, Chelsea hopes he will help improve their attack.
Pochettino intended to base his front line around the £52 million summer acquisition, and the Blues’ ability to use him could be crucial to their success.
Reece James Fitness
When he’s playing at his best, James is without a doubt one of the top right-backs in the world.
After missing two months due to a hamstring injury, Chelsea’s captain has made two cameo appearances and is eager to get back into the starting lineup as soon as possible.
James has had hamstring problems that have kept him out of the game for over half of the games since he made his breakthrough, but Pochettino is confident that his intense training regimen will help him overcome them.
James can make all the difference in Pochettino’s flexible 4-2-3-1 style because of his superb defensive and offensive skills.
Pochettino may be able to make even more tactical adjustments during a game thanks to his ability to handle both ends of the ball.
James can help with the goal-scoring problems because he has an eye for goal in addition to his ability to cross the ball.
vulnerability to counterattacks
This season, Chelsea has let up goals on breakaway in their losses against Brentford, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa.
Although Pochettino’s possession-based approach is meant to help dominate games, it leaves them exposed due to their ineffectiveness and lack of focus.
The opposition continues to have tremendous success when they set up with a low block and hit Chelsea on the counter.
Pochettino wants his players to commit more tactical fouls and make timely defensive plays in order to resemble Manchester City.
The secret is striking the correct balance between assault and defense.
Managing misfortune
When things do not go their way, Pochettino has lamented the way Chelsea heads sink.
When asked if his team’s attitude had changed following Brentford’s Saturday goal, Pochettino replied, “I think it changed before.”
“As a character, you have to maintain composure and say, ‘Hey, let’s play the way we should play the game,'” he continued. You must be mature for things to occur.
The team’s inexperience may be a contributing cause to their second-half collapses, as they tend to deviate from their plan and play erratically.
More long shoots and deep crosses are the result of desperation, which opponents have easily handled.
Discomforts at home
Pochettino has not been able to turn around Stamford Bridge’s dismal performance thus far.
In 13 Premier League home games dating back to the previous season, Chelsea has only triumphed over Luton.
Pochettino acknowledges that fans no longer have “trust” in his players and that they expect more from a team worth over £1 billion.
He is attempting to break the cycle of subpar performances that are fueling dull environments.
Although his aggressive, high-energy style can aid in restoring the relationship with supporters, he understands that Chelsea is a winning team.
If you don’t begin doing that more frequently, you can find yourself on the Chelsea hot seat very quickly.
