Chelsea must start turning good performances into points and improve record at the Bridge
There was a peculiar feel at Stamford Bridge last weekend as the Chelsea fans applauded Frank Lampard and his team for a promising performance, despite losing 2-1 to Liverpool.
The Blues had come out for the second-half already two goals down but played without fear, created chances, and made Premier League pace-setters Liverpool look vulnerable.
But for a couple of missed opportunities to equalise, most notably from Mason Mount in stoppage time, the hosts could even have walked away with a point.
Read more: Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool: Reds prove title credentials in game of two halves
This young side have shown glimpses of brilliance already this season and there have been signs of the blueprint Lampard is trying to perfect. Against Liverpool they came close to pulling it all together.
For the fans, this was worthy of recognition. But the scoreline meant that Lampard’s wait for a first win at Stamford Bridge would go on.
Slow start
Chelsea have claimed just eight points from their opening six Premier League fixtures, meaning that victory at home to Brighton tomorrow is all the more important.
They won away to Wolves and Norwich but their record in west London has been poor – the midweek drubbing of fourth-tier Grimsby aside – drawing against Leicester City and Sheffield United and losing to Liverpool. Lampard’s side also lost to Valencia in the Champions League last week.
For all the promise that Chelsea have shown on the pitch, and the patience fans have shown off it, the match with Brighton looks increasingly like a must-win if his side are to keep alive hopes of finishing in the top four.
Rarely does a team start a campaign with so few points and qualify for the Champions League. The last to do so was Manchester United during the 2014-15 campaign, when they too had eight points from the opening six matches.
They would make it 11 from seven with a win at home to Everton, a result Chelsea will hope to emulate against the Seagulls this weekend.
The last time a so-called Big Six side had taken eight points or less from their opening six matches was just a season later in 2015-16, when Liverpool had eight and Chelsea seven. They finished the season in eighth and 10th respectively.
That was a time to forget for Chelsea fans, but that is how slowly this campaign has begun.
It has been similarly sluggish for United and Tottenham, who are both also on eight points, albeit amid a seemingly more negative atmosphere, while the likes of Leicester City and West Ham look to be mounting a serious challenge to the status quo.
Drought at the Bridge
The writing is not yet on the wall for Chelsea, but their home form will need drastic improvement if they are to have a successful season.
Stamford Bridge has largely been a fortress for the Blues since Jose Mourinho took charge in 2004 and it has been an integral part of their success.
On Chelsea’s way to the Premier League title in 2015, during Mourinho’s second stint as boss, the Blues did not lose a single game on their own ground.
Two years later Antonio Conte kicked off a Premier League-winning campaign with just 10 points from six games, including two wins and a defeat at home. They would lose just one more top-flight game at the Bridge during the remainder of the season.
The need to win home games may be a footballing cliche, but it remains true as a bedrock for success.
Even Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea of last season lost just once at Stamford Bridge on their way to third place.
The supporters may have shown their appreciation against Liverpool after succumbing to their fourth winless match at home, but these fans may soon become hungry for victories once more.
Read more: Chelsea 0-1 Valencia: Barkley misses late penalty as Blues fall flat
They are likely to be less forgiving should Lampard’s home league drought continue and Chelsea fail to pick up three points against Brighton.
Upcoming fixtures against Newcastle, Southampton, Burnley, Watford and Crystal Palace also present a chance to start putting points on the board.
How many they take from home games will be crucial to their top-four hopes, starting tomorrow against Brighton.