It was following a frustrating home defeat to Manchester City on January 5 that Chelsea dropped to 10th in the Premier League table. Few could have envisaged on that cold Thursday night that 75 days later, Graham Potter's side would remain ensconced in the position.
Mid-table mediocrity is simply unacceptable to supporters, the majority of whom have become accustomed to a steady diet of title challenges, trophy wins, and, at the bare minimum, top-four pursuits. Potter appreciates this, even if the Chelsea head coach is quick to outline why his side is not an all-conquering force.
"Across the last two transfer windows, you are probably looking at a 20-plus player turnaround," Potter explained on Saturday after Chelsea were pegged back to a 2-2 draw by Everton. "So in terms of just stability, togetherness, and the spirit in the group, I think that’s been a real positive over this really tough period of weeks and months.
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"It’s a unique season, and before the World Cup was crazy with the intensity of the games and the number of injuries. Then the transfer window has added more noise for us, but we’ve got a young group that’s coming together and forming together well. The performance [against Everton] was positive; Dortmund was positive. But there is still lots to do.”
Chelsea did go into the international break unbeaten in four matches – and of those, three ended in victory. The standout success came against Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge. The Blues secured a 2-0 victory over the Bundesliga leaders and secured passage to the Champions League quarter-finals.
It is there Potter's side will face Real Madrid, the current European and world champions. Los Blancos have become a familiar foe in recent seasons; Chelsea faced the Spanish behemoth on their way to winning the Champions League in 2021 and were eliminated from the competition last term by Ancelotti's side.
Chelsea will need to play near-perfect matches to overcome Real Madrid this season. Any mistake will be capitalised on. Any weakness will be ruthlessly exploited. Real's array of world-class players have showcased that time and time again under Ancelotti's unflustered stewardship.
The quarter-final tie has made Chelsea's end to the season more daunting. The Blues have 13 matches to play and there are very few – if any – gimmies. "There is an intense period coming up," admitted Potter on Saturday. "April and May will be heavy for us."
After the international break, the Blues will play back-to-back home matches. They will come against a slowly-improving Aston Villa, who are level on points with Potter's side, and fourth-place-chasing Liverpool. Neither will be easy.
A trip to Wolves is followed by the first leg against Real Madrid. An emotionally-charged visit of Brighton, Potter's former club, comes before the second leg at Stamford Bridge – and Seagulls are likely to still be in the hunt for, at the very least, a place in the Europa League.
It doesn't get easier. April ends with away games at title-chasing Arsenal and Manchester United and a home clash against west London neighbours Brentford. The schedule then, in theory, eases up with a trip to Bournemouth and a match against Nottingham Forest. However, both will be scrapping for every point as they attempt to avoid relegation.
The campaign is rounded off by a fear-inducing match at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City – who may or may not still be in contention to win the league – and a visit from Newcastle United. The Magpies, depending on how the next few weeks play out, could well need to win to qualify for the Champions League.
Such a schedule would be difficult for a confident and complete Chelsea to navigate, let alone the work-in-process side Potter oversees. It's why a late surge up the table isn't anticipated by even the most optimistic supporter. Further points will inevitably be dropped between now and the end of May.
But perhaps – and as unlikely as it currently feels – Chelsea will be able to escape from the purgatory of 10th place and move up the Premier League table. That in itself would be a small victory.
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