One of the Premier League’s biggest stories this season has been the transformation of Chelsea from one of the most powerful clubs in the English top flight to becoming a decent impression of a basket case!
It’s hard to imagine anything much worse than the Blues’ chronic under-performance this season, and the 2021 Champions of Europe are in danger of becoming a laughing stock, certainly among fans of the other ‘Big Seven’ teams. FC Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel followed up Chelsea’s European crown by guiding Chelsea to third position last year in the world’s toughest league.
Then American businessman Todd Boehly took over.
To be fair to the US investor has put his money where his mouth is and backed his managers to the tune of an eye-watering £425m in transfer fees in his first eight months at the helm. But after sacking Tuchel very early in the campaign and, more recently, sending his replacement, Graham Potter, packing, Boehly is overseeing a club in 11th place after appointing a previously sacked manager, Frank Lampard.
After watching his team being totally outplayed by Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, Lampard has become the first Chelsea manager since Tommy Docherty in 1961 to lose his first three games in charge, and only the third in the club’s 118-year history. Boehly was harangued by the Stamford Bridge faithful at the end of defeat to the Seagulls, and he headed straight to the home dressing room before emerging an hour later.
Who knows what was said between those four walls?
Fans and pundits were scratching their heads at the appointment of Lampard as interim manager until the end of the campaign, particularly as it seemed Chelsea had a chance to recruit former Spain head coach Luis Enrique. Apparently the 52-year-old was keen to take the job and met the Blues board via Zoom, and he was somewhat disappointed to hear that Lampard had been drafted in to lead the team against Real Madrid in the Champions League…a game they lost of course.
Are the Gunners wobbling?
While Chelsea have been making the Premier League 2023 news for all the wrong reasons, attention is growing on the plight of another London club which, until very recently, was having an amazing campaign. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have led the way in the title race for much of the campaign but, in a 2-2 draw away to West Ham United on Sunday, the Gunners surrendered a 2-0 lead for the second time in two weeks.
Last week, Arsenal drew against Liverpool and it seemed like they were on the way back to the winning trail when Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard gave them a two-goal lead at the London Stadium. But West Ham rallied when Said Benrahma halved the deficit from the penalty spot, and when Bukayo Saka missed a penalty for the Gunners the door was open for Jarrod Bowen to complete the comeback.
After the game, Arteta insisted that his players weren’t feeling the pressure… but they are human. Manchester City are now just four points behind with a game in hand and the latest Premier League 2023 betting odds here at SBOTOP back the Sky Blues at a price of 1.45 to retain their title. With Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Brighton still to play, the Gunners have a tough run-in and they need to rediscover their winning form without delay.
The Sky Blues are coming.
Premier League target Osimhen happy in Naples
So Chelsea and Arsenal both have their challenges at the moment but, over in Italy, Napoli have had a brilliant campaign and are heading for a Scudetto triumph. And the London giants have been looking enviably at the Azzurri’s prolific striker Victor Osimhen. With 21 league goals in 24 games the Nigerian hitman is the hottest property in Serie A and he’s a player Chelsea would love to have, after scoring just one goal in five games.
Arsenal too are keen on Osimhen but they may have a tough task to lure him away from Naples. Luciano Spalletti’s team is 14 points clear at the top of the table and in decent shape in the Champions League quarter-finals, with just one goal to make up in their home leg against AC Milan. But Osimhen, who has struggled with injury in previous campaigns, is now a firm favourite with the Napoli fans and he insists he is keen to continue his journey with Gli Azzurri, saying: “We are close to the objective and cannot wait to make our dream come true, to make it a reality.” The Gunners are dreaming too, though a little nervously, while the Chelsea fans are having a nightmare!
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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