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Although The London club avoided a total demolition of their chances of ending up in the top eight of the European competition opening phase, they performed a targeted blow on their own chances of strolling directly into the round of 16. Naturally, the good news is that in the short one-year history of the recently revamped competition, securing a top-eight finish may not be as crucial as it seems.

The Core Problem: A Predictable Inconsistency

Sadly for Stamford Bridge regulars, the sole predictable element about Enzo Maresca’s side is a monotonously predictable inconsistency, which has been much remarked upon since their defeat in Bergamo. After apparently rubber-stamping their quality with an commanding victory of Barcelona, followed by a feisty stalemate with Arsenal, the team have been stuffed by Leeds, played out a snoozy stalemate at Bournemouth and have now lost against a mid-table side from Italy's top flight.

While pundits have been quick to lay the blame on a team selection approach that seems to see the coach change his lineup incessantly, the manager maintains that, knack and naughty step permitting, the core of his starting lineup for games against strong opposition is mostly fixed.

“I think tonight, starting team, we had on the field eight, nine players that play against Spurs, they play against Barcelona, they play against Wolverhampton, the Gunners,” he stated. “There were most of the regulars that are the ones consistently selected for these kind of games. So if you look at the five changes that we did from the previous game, it’s a different situation.”

What Comes Next

To have any realistic chance of escaping the Bigger Cup playoff round, they will have to win their remaining two matches. First up, they host this season’s surprise package a Cypriot team, then travel back to the continent to face the Serie A champions, the Neapolitan side.

“Victories in both are required, if not, we try to play the playoff and then progress to the following stage,” remarked Maresca, whose next appointment is a match against an Everton team whose current form has propelled them to the surprising position of seventh in the domestic league.

Side Stories

Notable Comment: “You know, it’s somewhat ironic because his biggest dream was me becoming a professional golfer. That was his ultimate ambition. So when I was 10, he forced me to start on golf. So I played golf every week from when I was 10 to 13” – Erling Haaland revealed how, if his father had his preference, he could have been teeing off rather than tearing it up in the top flight.

Readers' Letters

“So, no wonder Wolves are in such a poor situation. As any longtime reader of this column will know, the only good pre-match protests involve marching from a public house that the supporters planned to be at anyway, to the ground that they were inevitably going to. Just showing up 10 minutes late? That’s how long it takes fans to get to their seats anyway” – a correspondent.

“I see that a reader not only got Tuesday’s featured letter, but also a mention in a separate letter. On a night where both clubs from Sheffield again dropped points after leading, I am wondering: could Sheffield be proving that the frequency of appearances in your letters section is inversely proportional to the value of anything our teams are accomplishing on the field?” – a different supporter.