EPL Review: Chelsea move into title conversation, Vardy's still got it

Following each weekend of Premier League motion, theScore examines crucial developments and largest speaking factors to emerge from the slate of matches. Under, we dissect Matchweek 15 of the 2024-25 season.

Are Chelsea true title contenders?

The outcomes say they’re. Chelsea are second within the Premier League, simply 4 factors behind leaders Liverpool, and are nicely forward of expectations. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez are delivering match-winning performances, and the likes of Jadon Sancho and Nicolas Jackson are beginning to nail down common roles within the staff. The trajectory of the membership has crossed a key threshold, and it will be foolish to disclaim it.

However Sunday’s 4-2 comeback win over Tottenham Hotspur does not immediately make them title contenders. Liverpool have a recreation in hand, and Chelsea have a lot of shortcomings to beat.

Marc Cucurella slipped on the performs that led to Tottenham’s first two objectives, and giveaways by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and defender Benoit Badiashile might’ve heaped distress on Chelsea when the tide was delivering Sunday’s London derby. The Blues additionally wanted two penalties – which Spurs gift-wrapped in essentially the most careless attainable approach – to ignite the comeback effort.

“Arsenal, (Manchester) Metropolis, and Liverpool most likely do not slide – like Cucurella did,” head coach Enzo Maresca stated afterward. “To be critical, we’re not prepared. We’re removed from these groups, however we concentrate on (it) daily and (are) making an attempt to enhance the staff.”

Chelsea play an open and dangerous transition recreation, and as rewarding as it may be, it has its defects. Generally you see Moises Caicedo scrambling, and typically he lunges, and typically he will get away with a studs-up problem, as he did Sunday. Chelsea’s recreation is constructed round moments, they usually can go each methods. Chelsea have already dedicated 5 errors resulting in objectives – larger than another top-five staff and a transparent signal that they nonetheless wrestle to regulate matches. Nearly all of Chelsea’s wins have additionally come in opposition to groups within the backside half of the desk.

None of that’s to say Chelsea cannot win the title. However there’s lots to do earlier than they will actually take into account themselves a whole bundle.

Fast free-kicks 📝

Unsung teaching heroes

Apart from gamers underperforming, there’s one other massive purpose why groups like Newcastle, Manchester United, and Tottenham are struggling exterior the highest 10. The trio ought to be competing for locations in Europe. As a substitute, they will barely string two wins collectively. Whereas they’ve toiled, groups like Bournemouth, Brentford, and Fulham have stepped up, overachieving with squads that are not practically as costly. The distinction comes all the way down to teaching. In contrast to the three excessive spenders, stability on the touchline has benefited Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Thomas Frank, and Fulham’s Marco Silva. Their improvements and affect aren’t talked about practically sufficient. However after a weekend by which Brentford battered Newcastle, Bournemouth got here from behind to beat Ipswich City, and Fulham held title contenders Arsenal, it is time to give credit score the place it is because of the Premier League’s most underrated coaches.

Man United their very own worst enemy

Ruben Amorim has an enormous process on his palms to show Manchester United round. He is aware of that. It’ll take time and numerous work. One factor he cannot legislate for, although, is fundamental errors from his gamers. A brutal giveaway inside his personal half from Bruno Fernandes, along with some actually confounding goalkeeping by Andre Onana, gifted Nottingham Forest one aim Saturday. Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez merely watched on, as if frozen in time, as a looping Chris Wooden header, shifting nearly in gradual movement, nestled into the online for an additional. The latter stood up because the winner at Outdated Trafford, consigning Amorim to his second consecutive defeat. Getting the fallen membership again to the highest goes to be tough sufficient for the Portuguese tactician. It will be downright unimaginable if his gamers maintain torpedoing their very own progress with the varieties of errors generally seen in semi-pro leagues.

‘Season to endure’

Manchester Metropolis did not lose this weekend. Contemplating how issues have gone for a lot of the final month, that is really an enchancment. It is also a tragic assertion that displays the truth on the membership proper now. Pep Guardiola admitted after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace that that is Man Metropolis’s “season to endure.” Whether or not this staff is constructed for that continues to be to be seen. Most of those gamers have received every part already. Positive, they’ve needed to battle extraordinarily laborious in earlier seasons, keeping off fierce title challengers and profitable enormous matches. However they’ve by no means needed to take care of a soul-sapping rut like this. Even Guardiola himself is not certain if he and his squad are able to digging themselves out of this gap. One factor that might assist proper off the bat: cease conceding early. Man Metropolis have given up a league-high seven objectives within the first quarter-hour of matches this season. At all times enjoying from behind is not a recipe for achievement.

Good luck, schedule-makers

By the Premier League’s personal admission, compiling the annual fixture record is a “meticulous and painstaking course of that lasts nearly half a 12 months.” One of many unintended byproducts of the present schedule, already loaded to the gills with matches, is the issue of rescheduling postponed video games. With the highest golf equipment seemingly in motion each three days, discovering an honest window to squeeze in an additional contest isn’t any easy process. The Merseyside derby, referred to as off Saturday as a consequence of Storm Darragh, will doubtless must be shoehorned right into a uncommon midweek opening someplace after the jam-packed vacation slate. An already tough check for Liverpool might be that little bit tougher.

Star performer 🌟

Jamie Vardy (Leicester Metropolis)

Vardy is the definition of a talisman.

Leicester Metropolis’s season hasn’t gone to plan. Nonetheless, Sunday’s come-from-behind draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, which adopted a formidable win over West Ham, suggests momentum could lastly be shifting within the Foxes’ favor. And it was all because of their trusted striker.

With the Foxes teetering towards a defeat, the 37-year-old turned again the clock with a classic show within the closing levels that was paying homage to the performances that helped Leicester Metropolis win a shock Premier League title nearly a decade in the past.

As he is achieved so typically over time, Vardy introduced the King Energy Stadium to its ft after slicing Leicester’s deficit in half within the 86th minute. The boldness-booster led to larger celebrations 5 minutes later after Vardy arrange the equalizer to grow to be the second-oldest participant to attain and help in a Premier League match.

Ten years after Ruud van Nistelrooy watched Vardy break his revered Premier League scoring document, Leicester’s new coach is now counting on the revived veteran, who has six objectives and three assists this season, to maintain Leicester from dropping proper again all the way down to the Championship.

Greatest XI 😎

(Supply: FotMob)

Spotlight of the weekend 🎥

Bryan Mbeumo is having the season of his life. Via simply 15 matches, the Brentford talisman has already matched his profession excessive for objectives in a Premier League marketing campaign, registering his ninth tally in Saturday’s win over Newcastle. He did it in model, too, serving to the Bees preserve their standing as one of the best residence staff within the nation.

Stat of the weekend 🔢

We’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine how, precisely, Andre Onana did not save this. Even the commentators, completely perplexed, thought there should have been a deflection to wrong-foot the goalkeeper. There was no deflection.

Social media second 📱

In case you swapped doppelgangers Jota Silva and Jack Grealish, would anyone at their respective golf equipment even discover?

The place we stand 👀

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