Chelsea’s alarming habit of throwing away leads has struck again, leaving defender Wesley Fofana to rue “small details” after a 2-2 home draw with struggling Bournemouth. The Blues were pegged back twice at the Bridge, squandering yet more precious points in a season rapidly slipping away.
Enzo Maresca’s side have now dropped a staggering 13 points from winning positions at home this term. That’s the sort of stat that kills a top four challenge, and with just one win in their last seven league games, Chelsea have tumbled out of the Champions League places. This was Groundhog Day for the frustrated faithful: dominate, score, then fail to kill the game.
“It was a tough game,” admitted Fofana. “We tried to give everything but we didn’t kill the game in the second half. We had a few chances we didn’t score. It’s not only about the forward players, it’s everyone.” His assessment was spot on. After David Brooks’ early opener for the Cherries, Cole Palmer’s penalty and a stunner from Enzo Fernandez had turned the tide. But just before half time, Justin Kluivert was left unmarked to tap in a criminal equaliser.
The pattern is brutally familiar. Wasteful up front, sloppy at the back. “We need to do better, we need to analyse and try to progress,” Fofana added, clinging to positives. “When you concede two, it’s frustrating… but we are only in December, and we need to progress. I think we are getting closer, we are just missing small details.” Those “small details” are costing them huge points.
For Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, it’s a vital point that stops the rot. They’ve now gone ten league games without a win, a run that’s seen them plummet from second to 15th. “We played much better and showed a lot more fight,” said midfielder Alex Scott. “To score two set piece goals is definitely a positive.” They were organised and opportunistic, everything Chelsea currently aren’t.
The broader picture is grim for Chelsea. They’re now looking over their shoulder, not up the table. The Club World Cup win Fofana mentioned feels a lifetime ago. The project under Maresca is stalling badly, with a lack of killer instinct and defensive concentration undermining any progress. The fixtures don’t get easier, and unless they fix these “small details” fast, a season with so much promise risks becoming a damp squib.
