Chelsea must admit the superiority of Arsenal (4-2) at Stamford Bridge in the continuation of the Premier League competition this midweek. Despite controlling the game, Chelsea could not anticipate the effectiveness of Arsenal’s game. This result heats up the competition to enter the top 4 of the Premier League and win the Champions League ticket next season. Arsenal is still entrenched in 5th position under Tottenham Hotspur with the same accumulated points as Tottenham.
Both Arsenal and Tottenham are currently battling for a ticket to the Champions League. This competition became hot with the presence of Manchester United in 6th position. In the match against Arsenal, Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel paired Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku up front. It is rare for Tuchel to pair this striker duo. So far, the two have not shown a slick performance as a deadly duo in the English Premier League.
Werner’s selection is understandable. Werner has performed well in the last few games. Meanwhile, Lukaku has decreased. Tend to appear inconsistent. Therefore, Lukaku is more present as a substitute, while Werner has started to get a regular place on the front lines in the last few matches. Lukaku and Werner’s duet scheme did not go well. So, Lukaku had to be pulled out when Arsenal had a 3 goal lead over Chelsea.
Lukaku’s withdrawal was accompanied by boos from the Stamford Bridge stands. The sign, began to have displeasure from the Chelsea supporters camp on Lukaku’s performance. Chelsea’s hopes for Lukaku are not working as they should. Lukaku appears sluggish. His pounding power with Inter Milan seemed to be silenced by his past experiences with Chelsea. The second love did not seem to be greeted with a comfortable situation. Lukaku is like being an ex who failed to make up for past experiences.
Yes, Lukaku is a former Chelsea player in 2011-14. Like Moh Salah, Lukaku failed to shine with Chelsea. Then, he was loaned to West Bromwich Albion and Everton. Shining at Everton, Manchester United recruited this Belgian striker. However, his relationship with MU did not run smoothly. Lukaku then anchored to Inter Milan. Under the coaching of Antonio Conte at Inter Milan, Lukaku turned into one of the goal machines in the Italian League. The dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo as a scorer in the Italian League is under competition with the presence of Lukaku.
Thanks to his performance, Thomas Tuchel, who was not very satisfied with the performance of his strikers, then bought Lukaku. Even Chelsea was desperate to sell a young striker who was actually educated by the Chelsea academy Tammy Abraham to AS Roma. Tammy has performed well with AS Roma this season. Sooner or later, Tammy will become one of the prolific strikers in the Italian League if he doesn’t move to another league.
When Tammy Abraham shone with AS Roma, Lukaku instead had to struggle to find the best performance. This situation may make Chelsea regret with the move at the start of the season. Initially, Lukaku’s career went smoothly. Lukaku immediately scored goals in the first matches. However, slowly and accompanied by injuries, Lukaku’s performance was up and down. Until it looks sluggish and does not answer the problem of Chelsea’s front lines.
In short, Lukaku was the target of ridicule by Chelsea fans. The ridicule can become stronger at the same time as Chelsea’s performance. Being knocked out of the Champions League and facing defeat in the last few games makes Chelsea need to be vigilant.
If Chelsea is not aware of its place in the 3rd position can be shifted. Even though they are still 1 game ahead with the teams in 4th and 5th position, the competition towards the end of the season can present a serious challenge for Chelsea. Every team certainly does not want to be eliminated from the English League arena. Hence, as much as possible to avoid the relegation zone by exerting extra energy in the face of each remaining match.
Not to mention the hot competition to win tickets to the Champions League or European Cup. This will be a challenge for every team. Chelsea looks not safe in the top three. If you don’t immediately improve the team’s performance, Chelsea’s place could be displaced by teams like Tottenham or Arsenal. The defeat against Arsenal could be an early alarm for Chelsea. A ticket to the Champions League is one of the strong targets in Thomas Tuchel’s mind besides winning the FA Cup trophy later.
The remaining matches must be seen as a final, where Chelsea need to appear on the right track. For now, maybe Lukaku’s mentality is temporarily down because of what he experienced at Stamford Bridge. Supporters are certainly not so easy to close their mouths to criticize Lukaku. Therefore, Tuchel needs to find players who are mentally ready to face each of the remaining matches. That way could save Chelsea’s place in the top three and ensure a place in the upcoming Champions League.
ASL
