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As Ellis Simms’ late equalizer hit the back of the Stamford Bridge net, the good feeling that had started to develop around Chelsea quickly evaporated. A convincing victory over Leicester City the previous weekend had been followed by an impressive turnaround against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League to inspire optimism, but a 2-2 home draw against lowly Everton has once again dampened the mood.
“We’re really disappointed because we dropped two points at home,” said head coach Graham Potter after the game. “We wanted to win, I think you saw the intention of the team. There were a lot of positive things in the performance, but ultimately we haven’t defended well enough and to concede two goals means it’s not so easy to win the game. So that’s the disappointing thing for us.”
Chelsea have been languishing in and around 10th place in the Premier League table for most of the season, and have rarely looked like putting together the kind of run required to charge up the table and mount a late challenge for Champions League qualification. The wins against Leicester and Dortmund were seen as a possible sign of revival, but they can ill-afford many more dropped points at home, such as the draw with Everton.
Potter’s side are unfancied by those who bet on soccer, but there are at least positives to cling to from recent performances that weren’t evident earlier this year. The main thing is that Chelsea have started to score goals. Seven strikes in the last three games represents a real upturn, with the likes of Joao Felix and Kai Havertz stepping up and producing the goods in front of goal.
There also appears to be a greater urgency in the way the Blues are playing. It could be that Potter’s tactics are finally beginning to hit home, and that we will soon start seeing the fruits of the patience Chelsea’s hierarchy have shown with their head coach. Given some of the results, it’s a surprise to many that Potter is still in his job, but you only need to look at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta to see what can happen if you trust a manager to turn things around.
The hope for this season lies in the fact that very few teams in the league are displaying any kind of consistency. The battle for the top four remains wide open, with the likes of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool not exactly grabbing the bull by the horns.
As much as Potter will be concerned about his team’s results since he took the reins back in October, he’s the kind of coach who will always trust his own processes, and that could ultimately lead to success.
What Chelsea really need is a run of victories, to at least build confidence irrespective of potentially getting back into the race for European soccer next season. A strong finish to the current campaign would give the team a good foundation on which to build for the 2023-24 campaign, and from there perhaps Chelsea fans could dream of brighter times ahead.