The Christmas period is always busy for football fans and can make or break the season.
In recent years, Chelsea have struggled mightily in December, and we have seen back-to-back years where promising starts crumbled as the festive period progressed.
This year, things have been so bad in the run-up to Christmas that we could be about to see the opposite. Our toughest games were in October and November, but now they are tapering off and we have some really winnable games ahead of us.
If you want to back Chelsea to reach the European places, now would be the time to do it. We’re still stuck in mid-table and the odds will be nice and juicy, but with the games getting more intense for both us and the teams above us, that can change quickly. You can see the odds on this site (or as they say in Thai, trang web này) and decide for yourself if you like our odds.
Maybe it’s just the unexpected euphoria of winning a few games recently, but these easier games and the return to fitness of Christopher Nkunku (who plays the role of Jesus as the returning savior in this particular Christmas story) are convincing us that Chelsea might simply be able to turn the corner here.
Crystal Palace, Luton and Fulham are our next three rivals in the league, and it is perfectly feasible for us to get 9 points in those games. Those around us have difficult games and we could jump a couple of places in the league quite easily. Brighton, Man U and Newcastle will need to be overcome, but all three are going through the sort of winter spell Chelsea usually have.
Of course, we’ll need Nkunku to get to work, but if he does, we could be in business. Ben Chilwell and Romeo Lavia are also close to returning, and we will soon be able to field the strongest team we have had all season, at least in theory.
The pressure is on Mauricio Pochettino, there is no denying it. Both Frank Lampard and Graham Potter have lost this job in recent years after taking a winter tailspin, and even Thomas Tuchel struggled to recover following an injury-induced collapse in his second season. We’re not sure how much attention Pochettino paid to those records, but he will certainly consider these next few games to be not only winnable, but absolutely essential in terms of trying to get this season back on track and turn it into a positive campaign.
