3. Premier League implications loom large
The draw against Brentford meant Chelsea missed an opportunity to capitalize on other teams around them dropping points. As a result, Newcastle United are now level on points with Chelsea and have a game in hand. With a top-five finish now enough to qualify for the Champions League next season, the Blues are still in control of their destiny.
However, Chelsea face one of the toughest fixture runs among the Champions League hopefuls. Up next in the league is a home match against Ipswich Town, who are currently 18th and likely heading back to the Championship in their first year back in the top flight. Regardless of Ipswich’s league position, Chelsea should be wary of the challenge, these kinds of games have proven tricky before.
In the reverse fixture, Enzo Maresca was humbled by Ipswich Town at Portman Road. It remains Ipswich’s only home win in the Premier League this season. In fact, they went more than three months without a league win after that match. That loss highlighted Chelsea’s inconsistencies and is part of the reason they now find themselves in a tight battle for Champions League qualification.
Still, Sunday’s match is one Chelsea cannot afford to drop points in. If Ipswich somehow manages to complete the double over the Blues, it could see Maresca’s side fall from fourth to seventh in the table. With tougher fixtures ahead, that might be a setback they can’t recover from. So, while Thursday’s European clash is important, Chelsea will also need to manage their squad carefully to ensure the players have enough in the tank for Sunday’s high-stakes Premier League fixture.