Chelsea have been told they have not changed since Enzo Maresca’s reign as Paul Merson predicted them to finish outside of the Champions League places.
The Blues allowed a two-goal lead to disappear against promoted side Leeds, leaving them one point off fourth-place Manchester United who also dropped points.
But despite the small gap, Merson suggested Chelsea are only heading in one way and said it would be a “real big fight” for them to stay in Champions League football contention.
“Chelsea haven’t changed from when Maresca was there,” Merson commented on Sky Sports. “They can’t put a 90-minute performance together. They were brilliant first half, they were like the Harlem Globetrotters. Palmer, Santos, Enzo Fernandez, Pedro, the movement with Estevao.
“Second half out again brilliant then all of a sudden that happened. They haven’t got that experience when it goes 2-1 and then 2-2 the next 15 minutes were wasted.
“They haven’t got anyone to grab the game or tell the players to calm down and we’ll get another chance. They got one and it fell to Palmer and side footed it over the bar it happens to the best.
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“Chelsea have got some very, very difficult fixtures after the next one. It’s going to be a real big fight for them. If Chelsea can get in the Champions League positions after the run-in they’ve got I’ll hold my hands up and say fair play.”
Head coach Liam Rosenior said he “can’t remember Leeds having a shot or a moment in the game” but that his players failed to “stay calm”.
“Two key moments in the game that we don’t take care of,” he said. “We don’t stay calm. How the play gets there, we make a few poor decisions in the way we press and we give away a penalty.
“I can’t remember Leeds having a shot or a moment in the game. Some of our football in possession, our press and our energy was everything I wanted to see. That makes it even more of a bitter pill to swallow that we haven’t won the game.
“The lad handballs it. It affects my players in that moment, they think it’s a handball, they switch off, we don’t clear the ball and they score. Then for 25 minutes it was wave after wave of attack.”
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