![[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 8, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reacts after a semifinal match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium.](https://statico.profootballnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/19130842/chelsea-told-why-they-wont-12-19-25-1920x1365.jpg "Chelsea Transfer Rumors: European Giants Keen on Re-Signing $41M Player They Sold to the Blues")
Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Arsenal. In matchweek 17, they face Newcastle away in another exciting game, especially as the Blues remain unstable.
Despite heavy investment in signings before the start of the season, Enzo Maresca’s team is struggling to maintain a consistently positive and stable level of performance, exhibiting considerable instability even in victories.
Chelsea Fails to Inspire Confidence in Achieving Consistency
Due to these issues, Chelsea is not regarded as a genuine contender for the Premier League title. Paul Merson, an Arsenal legend and Sky Sports commentator, shared this view, saying Chelsea is more likely to win knockout competitions.
“Chelsea are a cup team, they haven’t bought to win the Premier League”
Paul Merson says Chelsea’s squad is too inexperienced to win the Premier League but backs them to win a trophy 🔵 pic.twitter.com/bCiIvNcTai
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 19, 2025
“Chelsea in the semi-final of the Cup, fourth in the league, Champions League, alright. Everything’s alright at the moment, it ain’t too bad. They’re not going to win the league yet,” said Merson.
He added, “They haven’t got a league-winning squad, they’re got a club team. Their team is a cup squad where it will perform at certain levels so high, but they’re such a young team that it will be up here one week, and it will be down here.”
Merson continued, “When I go and watch Chelsea, they never give you a 90-minute performance. It’ll be 20 minutes of greatness, 25 minutes of, wow, where’s that come from? And another 15 minutes of greatness. It’s never light across the board.”
He further said, “That’s why they’ll do well in the Cups, and I think they will win a Cup, but I don’t think they will win a league over 38 games. The team doesn’t have enough experience to go the full length. Chelsea are a cup team, they haven’t bought to win the Premier League.”
Chelsea are through to the EFL Cup semifinals and will face the winner of the Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace tie, with the first leg scheduled for January.
Chelsea’s Main Problems Right Now
One key tactical problem this season is the lack of quality chances against 5-3-2 or very deep defensive blocks. Teams like Sunderland and Leeds used a back five to stop the Blues’ attacks, forcing predictable wing play and ineffective crosses.
In other words, possession dominance does not translate into sufficient play volume due to a lack of assertive movement or creativity against organized defenses.
Frequent changes in the back four leave the team lacking cohesion. This results in individual errors and scoring chances; Chelsea is among the worst in the Premier League in this regard. It also generates a lack of confidence in defensive transitions, especially without key players Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana.
A further challenge is integrating new signings and young players into the team. The understanding between João Pedro, Delap, and Gittens still needs improvement. Maresca’s constant rotation also disrupts consistency and familiarity between team sectors.
