That is all Chelsea require to guarantee their place in the Premier League top four and secure Champions League football for next season, something you suspect is an absolute must for the club’s next ownership.
“I said many weeks ago that I didn’t ever feel safe,” Thomas Tuchel stated bluntly on Sunday after his side had been beaten by Everton at Goodison Park.
“We are never safe. And by the way, if we are in the race for top one, top two, or top four, no matter what the race, in the last four games we only have four points. That never be enough, no matter which race we are in.”
“We have to take care of ourselves. At the moment, we don’t get the points when we play well and deserve more. And we lose when we play okay. This is a bad mixture.”
The 2021/22 season has been an arduous one for Chelsea, on and off the pitch.
The game at Everton was the 58th of the campaign for Tuchel’s squad, which was stretched to its limit due to a combination of injuries and positive covid cases in the winter period.
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Matches over the last two months have been played amid the backdrop of the club’s sale and Roman Abramovich being sanctioned by the UK government.
There has been success to celebrate – the UEFA Super Cup was won back in August and the Club World Cup was claimed in February.
The feeling around Chelsea in recent weeks is one of weariness, that the travails of the season have finally caught up with them.
That very much felt the case at Stamford Bridge when West Ham visited a little more than a week ago.
Players and fans alike were enervated, especially in the opening 45 minutes that passed by without incident or excitement.
Chelsea did go on to win the game, but only thanks to a late goal by Christian Pulisic.
It’s a quirk of the fixture calendar that three of Chelsea’s remaining four fixtures are at home, but whether that is an advantage is very much debatable.
“Tuchel’s side have struggled on their own patch this term. Quite why is not something the German coach can put his finger on.”Normally, the home game gives you an advantage,” Tuchel pondered last month.
“After the big success in the Champions League last season, maybe teams play at Stamford Bridge not to lose first of all, with a slightly more defensive approach, and we struggle a bit not to break them down.
“When we are away, our opponents also get pushed to win , and it opens up the game maybe a little bit for us. I don’t know, it can be anything. Maybe it is because we feel the pressure. It can be bad luck, good luck, it can be not even worth analysing it.”
Chelsea have averaged 1.81 points per game at home this season in the Premier League compared to 2.06 away.
If Chelsea do not win their remaining three home fixtures, they will end the campaign having collected more points away from home than at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel is under no such threat; he will be Chelsea head coach next season unless he chooses otherwise.
That’s why the six points the Blues require must be collected as soon as possible.