An inexplicably poor, at times cringeworthy, performance ended Chelsea’s unbeaten record and saw most Blues fans creeping back to Wembley Park early, rather than endure further gloating from Spurs supporters.
Morrie Sarri has a task on his hands. Fulham, reforming under Claudio Ranieri, bowl up to the Bridge to try to capitalise on Chelsea’s confidence crisis.
Sarri had nothing good to say about any player after the 3-1 Wembley defeat, with the only crumb of comfort being the irritation Tottenham fans felt at a former Gunner scoring a consolation goal.
Should Olivier Giroud have started, rather than the ineffective Alvaro Morata? One thing Blues fans agree on is that the current strikeforce is as threatening as a wet wipe.
Yet, despite being dire, Morata wasn’t the worst. That honour went to David Luiz, who had a dreadful game.
He shimmied out of the way of the Harry Kane shot which produced Spurs’ second goal, rather than block it, then watched it sail in. Luiz earnt £120,000 this week.
Tottenham were on fire; everything clicking. The Blues can kiss goodbye to any hopes of keeping up with Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal or Spurs.
What will Sarri do? Cut out the dead wood, or merely prune? Fans want a dramatically improved showing against their west London rivals, or Wembley grumbles will turn to hostility. Sarri’s team selection will tell us a lot.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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