Chelsea has demonstrated their potential to triumph over any opponent, particularly highlighted by their 3-0 victory against Paris St-Germain in the Club World Cup final in July. However, their struggle lies in maintaining that performance level consistently, a weakness that hampers their success both in domestic leagues and European competitions.
In the Champions League, defending champions PSG have convincingly outperformed Chelsea across two matches, showcasing their own ability to consistently perform at a high standard.
In contrast, Chelsea went all out in the first leg, suffering a 5-2 defeat attributed to lapses in concentration, individual mistakes, and poor discipline rather than any deficiency in technical skills.
The second leg started similarly poorly, with 20-year-old Mamadou Sarr showing a lack of conviction in defending a long ball, allowing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia the space necessary to inflict damage.
Sarr was not alone in his missteps; Moises Caicedo was accountable for the second goal, while Trevoh Chalobah narrowly avoided punishment for a major error in the 33rd minute.
It’s worth noting that Sarr’s inclusion was due to selection issues stemming from Rosenior opting for his strongest lineup against Newcastle on Saturday, a match which Chelsea lost 1-0. Reece James is facing a potentially serious hamstring injury, while players like Cole Palmer, Caicedo, and Pedro Neto seem fatigued despite being in the starting lineup.
Additionally, 10 other members of Chelsea’s squad had not participated in this competition prior to this season, emphasizing that this is uncharted territory for many of them.
This situation raises questions about whether it is too soon for such a young starting XI to engage in a knockout match in the Champions League, regardless of the expectations tied to the Chelsea badge.
Unfortunately, Chelsea has now experienced four consecutive losses in Champions League knockout matches for the first time in the club’s history.
Despite this, the squad possesses the capability to win against any team on a good day, which has resulted in recent cup successes such as the Conference League and Club World Cup; they might still secure FA Cup glory under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake ownership.
However, such standout performances are too infrequent to contend for titles in prestigious competitions like the Premier League or Champions League.