A win since the start of the year despite more than £600m in transfer fees, a place 10 in the Premier League table and a manager appointed in September who already seems to be under pressure… Chelsea’s first half of the season has been nothing short of a disaster.
Saturday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham means Graham Potter’s side have recorded just one win in their last seven Premier League games.
West Ham’s result was understandably marred by an inexplicable officiating error that allowed Hammers midfielder Tomas Souceck to act in his own area to block a goal-bound effort from Conor Gallagher with no repercussions.
But even that mistake by VAR officials at Stockley Park doesn’t explain why Chelsea have faltered so badly this season, the first under Todd Boehly’s co-ownership.
But while Chelsea are 10 points adrift of the last remaining Champions League qualifying spot and are eliminated in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, there is a glimmer of hope that keeps their campaign very much alive.
Chelsea continue their Champions League season this week with a round of 16 draw against Borussia Dortmund, with the first leg taking place in Germany on Wednesday night, and it looks like a win-or-lose scenario for the 2022/23 season.
And ex-Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole believes it represents a great opportunity for his former side to salvage something from an otherwise miserable season.
“The Champions League is an opportunity for everyone because it’s knockout football,” said Cole in an exclusive interview with BTSport.com. “They’re one of 10 teams that could win it and in a single night they have the quality to beat anyone.”
Chelsea’s first Champions League win came back in 2012 when caretaker Roberto Di Matteo guided them to victory as underdogs, beating Barcelona in the semi-finals and Bayern Munich in the final, despite dominating in both games.
Di Matteo’s Chelsea finished sixth in the league this season and even with Chelsea’s second Champions League success in 2021 they would finish fourth, 19 points behind champions Man City – the side they beat in the final.
And Cole believes those victories serve as an example that the strongest team in the competition doesn’t always hoist Europe’s most coveted trophy.
“We’ve seen teams that aren’t particularly challenging in their league reach the final or win it – Chelsea themselves have done it before,” said Cole. “You just have to be the best this evening.”
They meet a Dortmund side who are domestically vying for the Bundesliga title and have qualified for the knockout rounds second in Group G behind Man City.
From our shores in Dortmund, much of the focus has been on the standout Jude Bellingham in Dortmund midfield after the former Birmingham City player delivered a brilliant performance for England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Bellingham is the latest in a string of young players who joined Dortmund as youngsters and have developed into world-class talent. And like Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, many expect Bellingham to move big bucks from Germany in the summer.
However, Cole believes the 19-year-old is just one of the threats Dortmund will pose. “With Bellingham, Marco Reus and Sebastien Haller, I would add Dortmund to the list of teams that could win the Champions League,” added the BT Sport pundit.
“Every team in Germany that is under Bayern Munich has a lot of quality – that also applies to RB Leipzig – but also a lot of energy for their game.
“Dortmund have a regimented style and that’s why it’s great that so many players are learning from the way they play. They have enough quality in the team to hurt anyone so it’s going to be a tough game for Chelsea. ”
You can watch Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea exclusively live on BT Sport this Wednesday night, starting at 7pm on BT Sport 1 & Ultimate.
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