A 3-0 loss to Manchester City back in August provided the early warning signs that something was wrong at Stamford Bridge.
This past Sunday Chelsea took some manner of revenge, with a 5-1 crushing that knocked an under strength Sky Blues side out of the FA Cup.
Though more important to a team that was falling apart before the New Year, the result marks Guus Hiddink’s fifth win since officially taking over in the caretaker’s role, with the recent 2-1 European defeat against Paris Saint-Germain the Dutchman’s only blip in 13 outings.
Also unbeaten in the Premier League since a December meeting with league leaders Leicester, this form could be respectable if it were not for the immense hole that was already dug during the first-half of the season.
But with this upturn in performance and results, can the reigning Premier League Champions, for the moment at least, end 2015-16 on a positive note?
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The second-leg of the round of 16 Champions League tie against PSG now becomes a make-or-break fixture for the season. A chance at European glory should take priority for the powers that be at Stamford Bridge, a slim chance nonetheless considering the opposition, yet it is the only way the Blues will feature in the competition next season, and as the recent comments of Eden Hazard suggest, hold onto their most talented players.
Qualifying for some level of European competition is a necessity. Scraping their way into the elite of the Champions League It is a miracle that Chelsea has pulled-off before with the penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 final, yet it is a miracle nonetheless and one only the most die hard of the Blue faithful would look at as achievable based on current form.
Finding a way into the Europa League for 2016-17 seems like a much more attainable goal and is one that, at the moment, can be reached in two ways. Seven points away from this weekend’s opponents Southampton who occupy sixth place and with twelve games to play, if the current domestic habits can be kept in place a jump into contention for the six is nowhere near out of the question. It will be a tough run, but valuable points can be gained from fixtures against fellow hopefuls such as West Ham and Liverpool.
The FA Cup also provides another possible route into the Europa League and after the 5-1 thumping of a mostly second-string Manchester City outfit, the blue faithful may have high-hopes surrounding the competition as they enter the final eight. However, a much more determined Everton will no doubt be awaiting in the quarter-finals, whom Chelsea have not beaten so far this season and have conceded six goals against over their past two encounters.
The wounds of early 2015-16 are healing, yet Guus Hiddink’s men must ready themselves for the battle that waits on their run toward the end of the season. Reputation needs to be kept intact, while reasons are needed to keep key names at their current surroundings and entice players to join from other clubs.
Can the tables be turned when PSG travels to Stamford Bridge in two weeks? Can a Dimitri Payet-inspired West Ham be contained on the 20th of March? Each match between now and the campaign’s end, either in positive or negative fashion, should feel like a main event fight for the manager, the player and the fans.
Rocked to the core by a disastrous six-months, Chelsea faces a test of character that will be tougher than their comparatively relaxed path to the Premier League title at this time last year. Will the run home of 2015-16 bring redemption to the Blues, or lay a path for a continued hangover?
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