Fatigue caused by the Champions League run has cost Chelsea the defence of their crown according to Eden Hazard
Chelsea has a testing month ahead which they cannot afford to fail in. After two thumping losses at the hands of lowly Watford and Bournemouth, Chelsea faces Barcelona and Manchester giants along with a FA Cup 5th round tie in four of their next five matches. With the race for top 4 heating up, there are only three places up for grabs as Manchester City have virtually sealed the Premier League title. Chelsea, of course, the reigning English Champions couldn’t have done much to stop the irresistible City side, however, their performances have still left a lot to be desired.
Antonio Conte’s men haven’t been performing to the best of their abilities
With Antonio Conte’s future under increasing scrutiny by the day, Chelsea’s star man, Eden Hazard has tried to shift the focus away from their manager.
“This year we have less time to be ready for games”
London was the destination for the stars as several footballers gathered for a posh Nike event. Hazard also attended the same where he told ESPN FC:
“I think the Premier League is difficult. It’s hard to win every year. Last year we didn’t have the Champions League. This year we have less time to be ready for games. Every week there are three games.”
“We changed a couple of things [last summer], we lost players, we brought some new ones and every year is different.”
Hazard: It's tough to win the Premier League every year – ESPN FC #CFC https://t.co/Y0N5nH1Mpz pic.twitter.com/ZgCq2SMp6X
— ChelseaFC Report (@ChelseaFC_Fanly) February 8, 2018
Hazard went on to compliment the unpredictability of the game saying the surprise element in the Premier League makes it special. “That’s why we love football – if there is only one team that wins it would be boring. That’s why football is special. You never know what’s going to happen, especially in England.”
Author’s Take
Hazard’s take on Chelsea’s recent failures is intriguing but not brand new. The Blues’ transfer market adventures have been well documented over the past 8 months. They didn’t add enough depth to their squad in the summer which is now costing them dearly owing to a much more congested schedule and an injury bug biting the roster. Chelsea wasn’t prepared to deal with these situations and it clearly shows in their performances and results.
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