Chelsea: The four problems the Blues must solve to salvage their season

Enduring their worst run of form of the season with four consecutive defeats — which included a Champions League exit — Chelsea have a long list of problems to address as they sit sixth in the Premier League.

Unable to take advantage of Liverpool's defeat to leapfrog the Reds in the table and close the gap on the Europa League spots, following their own 3-0 loss to Everton, Liam Rosenior's side must use the international break wisely. The Blues have several issues to fix, as outlined by The Standard.

Individual errors proving costly

Individual mistakes have been haunting Chelsea, cropping up game after game and proving extremely costly. After the defeat to Everton, Rosenior acknowledged the concentration lapses that have been happening "far too frequently of late."

The most recent examples include Filip Jorgensen's error against PSG in the first leg, Mamadou Sarr's mistake in the return fixture, and Robert Sanchez's blunder against Everton — all of which contributed to the team's collapse in form.

Chelsea's goal is to secure Champions League football next season, and with the race this tight, errors of that kind could prove extremely damaging.

Lack of cutting edge

Chelsea have gone three consecutive league games without scoring — the first time that has happened since September 2023. The poor run highlights a worrying lack of sharpness in attack, despite Joao Pedro's good form, as he has been one of Rosenior's most consistent attacking options.

Players such as Cole Palmer — enduring a difficult season — Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto, the trio from whom so much is expected, have all been inconsistent. Liam Delap remains out of form. Estevao, meanwhile, provided a welcome spark upon his return after missing a large part of the year.

Absence of leadership

Indeed, Estevao's return only served to expose a deeper problem that has been festering at Chelsea throughout the season: a lack of leadership. The Athletic published an analysis titled "Where are Chelsea's leaders?", examining the reaction of players on the pitch during the defeat to Everton.

The outlet noted that as many as ten Blues players stood motionless — hands on hips, heads down or staring at the sky — after Iliman Ndiaye's stunning goal sealed the 3-0 scoreline on Saturday. The only player to react differently was the young Brazilian, who sprinted to collect the ball from behind Robert Sanchez's net and placed it on the centre spot ahead of Cole Palmer.

As The Athletic wrote, for an 18-year-old who only joined Chelsea last summer to be the one making the most effort to motivate the team should have made his teammates uncomfortable. When leadership and unity were most needed, neither was to be found.

With BlueCo having steered the club's identity firmly towards young, high-potential players since taking over at Stamford Bridge, it is no coincidence that Chelsea have the lowest average age in the Premier League (22.5 years). The lack of experienced voices has been all too evident amid the club's current crisis.

Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, for instance, caused controversy by refusing to guarantee his Chelsea future beyond this season — despite being under contract until June 2032 — while also appearing to send pointed signals in Rosenior's direction.

The defensive system needs sorting

Since taking charge, Rosenior has regularly altered his defensive setup — switching between a back four and a back three — in almost every match, partly due to injuries but also by choice.

Those constant changes reflect a lack of decisiveness from Rosenior rather than any coherent rotation strategy.

As one newspaper put it, Wesley Fofana's recent poor run of form illustrates the erosion of Chelsea's defensive solidity in recent weeks. Supposedly a quick, agile centre-back with great recovery pace, his uncertain defending with his back to goal allowed Ousmane Dembele to score at the Parc des Princes, Anthony Gordon to net the winner at Stamford Bridge, and Beto to open the scoring on Saturday.

The international break comes at a good time for Chelsea. The run of club matches is paused, giving the squad a chance to reset. The Blues return to action against Port Vale in the FA Cup on 4th April, before two crucial Premier League tests at home to Manchester City and Manchester United.