wizardous

I don't think it's even worth of a comparison. As a team we look 5x better than at any single point last season. We still rely on Palmer perhaps a bit too much, but he's no longer the only one that can win us a game...

Exactly. If it wasn't for Palmer, Poch would have probably got sacked at some point in the season. We're still a work in progress but Maresca knows what his best team is, has a clear plan and it has worked so far. No reason to complain really...

I think their style of play has been so predictable for quite some time. Howe never seems to have a plan B. Add to that injuries and poor recruitment, and this is what you get. Good for us though...

Let's not get carried away. We've got reasons to be optimistic but we're far from favourites. A win here would make a statement, however I'd be quite content with a draw...

Not feeling very optimistic ahead of this one, we certainly lack the cutting edge to get something out of this game. On the other hand there probably won't be a better moment to play against City this season, so it's not like we don't stand a chance. We do, although only if we maintain concentration in defense for the full 90+ minutes, and our defending is a big question mark, probably the biggest of all in our squad. I hate to say this but I'd be satisfied with a draw, however I reckon we'll have to settle for a narrow defeat...

A monumental car crash seems likely...

A man can dream...

You mean Tuchel was a failure, right?

Palmer at 9 doesn't work at all.

When Boehly took over we were reigning European champions, now we are midtable mediocrity for the second season in a row. Most importantly, nothing suggests that things are going to get better anytime soon. With FFP looming over us it could only get worse. You might be right though, at this point I wouldn't say it's arrogant to believe in this "project". More like delusional.

Exactly. What xG can give you is only a brief, rough idea of how good are the chances a team creates. In theory it sounds useful, but let's imagine two identical 1v1 situations, one of them is Messi against the goalkeeper, the other one is Sterling. Is there the same probability of a goal? xG metric says yes. 😂

Chelsea - Juventus, November 2021 - the exact moment when everything started to fall apart being Chilwell's injury. The irony is it's definitely one of the best performances I've ever seen from us. Around that period, I genuinely thought not only we were legitimate title contenders, but that Tuchel was developing us into a dominant force of a team, which had yet to reach its peak in years to come. And I still think it could've happened if it wasn't for the takeover. Couple of weeks later the series of unfortunate events begins: Mendy giving away 3 points at West Ham, injury crisis, covid crisis, Lukaku interview, sanctions, takeover...it hasn't ended to this day it seems. But really given the circumstances, what Tuchel did that season is a result that should be respected. A comfortable top four finish, two cup finals and outclassing Real at Bernabeu, all while you could sense nothing but uncertainty around the club...

How's our xG these days?

I think if Pochettino leaves, nothing's going to change significantly. No serious manager would go anywhere near this mess right now. That's why I voted "on the fence" but really I'm completely indifferent at this point. The only thing Boehly and co. need is a "yes man" to keep ruining Chelsea, destroying the identity that was built through decades, sucking the soul out of our club and doing it step by step, in a sadistic way. We can all agree they are doing an outstanding job so far. Where we are on the table is our reality, but it could easily get even worse. With a possible FFP charge in the future, who guarantees we won't be involved in a relegation battle sooner or later? Almost forgot to mention my biggest ick, the word "trust". Every single press conference Pochettino talks about how we should trust in what they're doing. I wonder based on what should we trust them? Is there actually anyone left who does?

Dominated the midfield for 35 minutes, should've been 1-0 but Sterling decided to be selfish...