Are Chelsea world-beaters ... or flatterers and pouters?
If Chelsea fans are seeking solace after defeat at Old Trafford, here it is. Their final six opponents this season are Southampton, Everton, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Watford and Sunderland. And in the corresponding games earlier in the campaign, their record against those clubs read: P6 W6 f12 A1 Pts 18.
One hundred per cent. They, literally, could not have done better. Tottenham’s last six games are Crystal Palace, Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester United, Leicester and Hull. And their corresponding record? P6 W3 D2 L1 f9 A5 Pts 11. If both sequences of results are repeated — unlikely, admittedly — Chelsea would win the title by 11 points, equalling the third highest winning margin in Premier League history.
Earlier in the season, Spurs dropped points to Arsenal and Leicester and lost at Manchester United, and none of those will be easy fixtures still.
They also have to travel to Crystal Palace, who have improved greatly, while London derbies are notoriously unpredictable, even against West Ham.
It was 2007-08 when West Ham last finished above Tottenham in the table, but over the last six seasons results between the clubs show both with five wins, and two matches drawn.
And while the focus has been on what would happen if Chelsea lost again in the run-in, it is a random Tottenham defeat that would be devastating.
Chelsea could lose their toughest game, away at Everton, 10-0 and still win the title with victories over the teams currently lying eighth, ninth, tenth, 19th and 20th.
Even so, Tottenham are the form team, while Chelsea have lost two of their last four games. Those looking for clues when the teams meet in an FA Cup semi-final on Saturday may be disappointed — will either manager risk his most important players, knowing his title rival can, shall we say, ‘influence’ availability in the final weeks — but we are about to find out what Chelsea, in particular, are made of. Is this the team that Jose Mourinho clumsily alienated last season — a team of would-be world beaters, who will deliver two titles in three seasons when settled and happy?
Or is it a collection of flatterers and pouters, who inexplicably disappeared last year, and did so again in the face of a disciplined, intelligent Manchester United performance on Sunday?
A team that couldn’t handle man-marking, combative defending, youth or pace? If Antonio Conte (left) looked worried at Old Trafford, it was with good reason. Chelsea are on the worst Stifled: Eden Hazard was man marked out of the game by Ander Herrera at Old Trafford on Sunday, while Diego Costa (inset) was totally ineffectual
defensive run in terms of clean sheets since December 1996 and this was their first league match without a shot on target since 2007.
Diego Costa last scored for his club on March 6 while, if Eden Hazard aspires to the highest heights, it is worth remembering that nobody man-marked Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo out of a game at their peak.
The best find ways around such primitive tactics or, at the very least, they run their stalker so ragged that space opens up for a team-mate.
Hazard did neither, and was smothered by Ander Herrera.
Chelsea do not face another team of Manchester United’s quality in the run-in, but they do face managers who have been around the block: Tony Pulis, Water Mazzarri, Claude Puel, Ronald Koeman.
It is not unthinkable that they will have watched United’s performance at the weekend, and got an idea. Obviously, it helps to have Marcus Rashford leading the line, but with the gap at just four points, the odd goalless draw could do as much damage to Chelsea as defeat; certainly now it seems Tottenham will have the beating of them on goal difference.
In other words, Hazard is going to have his work cut out. So, too, Costa, Pedro and Cesc fabregas when he plays. There is a blueprint now and it is not as if following it requires the skill set of Barcelona. Crystal Palace stifled Chelsea as recently as April 1.
The reason Chelsea’s four-point advantage seems so slender is that it was once 13, although Spurs had a game in hand.
Yet on this day last year, just five points separated Tottenham from Leicester — before the chasers blinked first with backto-back draws against West Brom and Chelsea, to hand Leicester the title.
While Tottenham are not inexperienced in this situation — with 12 title winners’ medals spread across five players — that does not match the hoard of 32 at Chelsea, including 13 in the Premier League.
Inescapably, this is Chelsea’s to lose. If that happens, there will be no Mourinho, no distractions, no bad atmosphere to blame.
Conte has given them all they wanted. Now it is down to them to deliver the five wins necessary to make even Tottenham’s best efforts irrelevant.
We are about to find out what they are made of in the closing games