Chelsea can’t lift the title fog
Blues fall SIX points off the top
AS depleted Chelsea laboured to a draw in thick fog here, it was hard to escape the feeling that their title hopes are in danger of fading from view.
Thomas Tuchel was furious that his European champions, who had seven positive Covid-19 cases in their ranks, had been forced to face Wolves after the Premier League rejected their appeal for postponement.
Chelsea felt playing the game was a risk to health and welfare. The League deemed they had enough fit players and told them to crack on. Yet beyond that, the bald facts are that Chelsea had nearly £350million worth of talent in
their squad — plus homegrown England regulars Mason Mount and Reece James — and that should have been enough to put away a Wolves side who had their own problems with injury and illness.
Instead Chelsea rarely troubled goalkeeper Jose Sa, with only Christian Pulisic forcing him into action late on. Wolves were left to rue Daniel Podence’s early strike that was chalked off for offside.
‘It certainly wasn’t the perfect environment to prepare for a game,’ said Tuchel. ‘We had to focus late, we had a short, late meeting and there was a lot of noise in the last 24 hours. But we tried to do our best and we played well in the second half.
‘With a bit more luck and quality we could have won the game. If I analyse this game in isolation then I am absolutely OK with the performance.’
Any side would suffer without Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Andreas Christensen and Kai Havertz. Meanwhile, the growing number of positive tests and doubts about whether the game would proceed cannot have helped Chelsea’s state of mind in the hours before kick-off, with the League giving the go-ahead at about 10am.
But Chelsea are one of a handful of clubs in the world who could lose those players and still field 10 senior internationals in their starting XI.
They might have had only four outfield players on the bench, but those four included Mateo Kovacic, Saul Niguez and Ross Barkley, plus £72m goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Not too shabby. Yet Manchester City’s comfortable win at Newcastle left Chelsea six points behind the champions, and with only one win in their last four, as they fight to recapture their early-season form.
Like nearly every club in the land, Wolves have issues with availability, too. Willy Boly, Jonny Otto and Pedro Neto would be key men if fully fit, while Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hwang Hee-chan have proved their worth this season. The presence of the untested Luke Cundle, Hugo Bueno and Bruno Jordao on the bench, along with two goalkeepers, showed boss Bruno Lage’s resources were as stretched as Tuchel’s.
Perhaps because of the Covidinduced uncertainty within football and across a country, the atmosphere pre-match was subdued as the players began the contest with the mist closing in.
Wolves were sharper from the off and looked dangerous in the fourth minute when James presented Raul Jimenez with possession, beginning a move that ended with Podence’s shot deflecting off Thiago Silva for a corner.
The home side thought they had taken the lead in the 15th minute when Podence tapped in Marcal’s low cross to conclude a fine move involving Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho.
Yet as Wolves celebrated, they were denied by a late linesman’s flag. Though Jimenez had failed to make contact with Marcal’s delivery before Podence scored, he was ruled to have been interfering with play. Lage was furious, waving his arms about like an excitable air-traffic controller.
Tuchel was a picture of agitation in the technical area as his team — with only two wins in their last six in all competitions — struggled for rhythm.
At one stage, the German and captain Cesar Azpilicueta exchanged cross words by the touchline as Tuchel tried to wake his troops from their torpor.
Without Lukaku and Werner, Chelsea lacked bite and failed to test Sa before the break. Pulisic was slipped through by the recalled N’Golo Kante — playing for the first time in nearly a month after knee trouble — only for Sa to force him away from goal.
Tuchel’s nerves were jangling again when Silva collided with Trevoh Chalobah in midfield, leaving both players requiring treatment, though they were cleared to continue.
Moments before the break, Dendoncker should have put Wolves ahead but sent a free header straight at Edouard Mendy from Podence’s cross.
Chalobah was unable to continue after half-time which meant another chance for Saul, the midfielder who has under-performed since joining on loan from Atletico Madrid. Saul did contribute to a better showing from the visitors, though chances were few.
Pulisic
THIS was just the second time in the 18 away Premier League games under Thomas Tuchel that Chelsea have failed to score (also v Leeds in March last season).
forced a fine save from Sa when he charged through and shot from close range with Marcal nearby.
‘Champions of Europe, you’re having a laugh,’ crowed the home supporters as the game drifted to conclusion. It is safe to assume Tuchel did not see the funny side. WOLVES (3-5-2): Sa 7; Kilman 6.5, Coady 7, Saiss 7; Hoever 6, Dendoncker 6.5, Neves 6.5, Moutinho 7, Marcal 6; Jimenez 6 (Trincao 89min), Podence 6.5 (Traore 79). Booked: None. Manager: Bruno Lage 6. CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Mendy 6.5; Azpilicueta 6.5, SILVA 7.5, Rudiger 6; James 6, Kante 6.5, Chalobah 5 (Saul 46, 6), Alonso 6; Mount 6.5, Ziyech 6 (Kovacic 65, 6); Pulisic 6.5. Booked: Chalobah, Rudiger. Manager: Thomas Tuchel 6. Referee: David Coote 6. Attendance: 30,631.