Chelsea

Halfway through the season, Chelsea were at the top of the EPL points table and seemed to be heading towards a title finish. Now with about a dozen games to go, they are languishing at the fifth spot and also in danger of keeping their UEFA Champions League spot. Carlos Ancelotti has himself admitted that they are out of the race for the EPL title for this season.

What came as another shocking surprise was their loss to Everton in the fourth round replay of FA Cup.  Back-to-back FA Cup winners Chelsea crashed out of this year’s tournament after closing a 119th minute showdown and then losing a penalty shootout to Everton.

That leaves them only in the hunt for the UEFA Champions League which is going to be a tough ask for a team that is performing well below par.

UEFA Champions League as we know is a mini-football World Cup of sorts. If Chelsea can perform and end up winning or coming close to a win in the UEFA Champions League, it will become a big boost and some sort of redemption for their fans.

The Blues moved to within touching distance of the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night and eased the mounting pressure on manager Ancelotti with a 2-0 victory in their last-16 first leg at the Parken Stadium.

The result, courtesy of two Nicolas Anelka goals, kept alive their one remaining hope of silverware this season following a miserable few months that have seen last year’s double winners.

So far, the London club has failed to live up to the expectations of their fans and some football pundits. Some say that with this kind of disappointing season even Carlos Ancelotti’s job maybe in danger.

The only ray of hope for the club this season is how well they end up competing in the UEFA Champions League.

Tags: Carlos Ancelotti, Chelsea, EPL, FA Cup, Football, Soccer, UEFA Champions League