Chelsea, Huddersfield Draw; Blues' Hopes of Top-4 Premier League Finish in Doubt
Chelsea's hopes of finishing in the top four suffered a blow on Wednesday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Huddersfield Town, a result that secures the Terriers' Premier League status.
The visitors took the lead throughย Laurent Depoitre five minutes after half-time, but Chelsea equalised somewhat fortuitously through Marcos Alonso.
The Blues pressed hard for a winner in a chaotic second half but simply could not find a way past a committed Huddersfield side who will be playing in the top flight again next season.
Chelsea Don't Deserve Top-4 Place
Chelsea look set to miss out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League after the point left them needing to win their final game of the season and hope Liverpool lose.
Antonio Conte rotated his team for Wednesday's match, leaving Eden Hazard on the bench, and the game simply proved his squad is not good enough, per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella:
Alvara Morata had chances but could not score and has not had the impact imagined when he was brought in from Real Madrid last summer.
Danny Drinkwater also arrived in the same transfer window but has only made five Premier League starts. January arrival Ross Barkley has managed just 54 minutes since joining from Everton, perย WhoScored.com.
It remains to be seen if Conte will remain in charge at Stamford Bridge, but what is certain is that the team needs strengtheningย if Chelsea are to regain their European spot and challenge for the title.
Wagner Has Worked Wonders at Huddersfield
Huddersfield manager David Wagner described his team's promotion to the Premier League as a fairytale back in May after they won the Championship play-off final on penalties, perย Adam Williamsย at BBC Sport.ย
Wagner has taken Huddersfield from 19th in the Championship to the Premier League, and keeping them in the top division is another superb achievement.
Miguel Delaney at The Independent was full of praise for Wagner:
The team fully deserve their place in the top flight, too. They have been organised, committed and tough to beat this season and have picked up some impressive results.
They've also produced performances when needed. The point at Stamford Bridge follows a goalless draw against Manchester City at theย Etihad Stadium last time out.
Yet the highlight of the season has to be the 2-1 win over Manchester United at the John Smith's Stadium in October 2017.
Wagner deserves huge credit for his role in keeping the Terriers up, and there may well be interest in the German this summer.
Lossl's Save Is Worth Millions
Chelsea threw everything they had at Huddersfield in the closing stages, but somehow the visitors managed to cling on to a priceless point.
The closest the Blues came was after an almighty goalmouth scramble when the ball eventually dropped to Andreas Christensen who managed to direct a firm header on target.
It looked as though it might be the winner, too, until Jonas Lossl came flying into view and somehow managed to touch it on to the post.
Jonathan Northcroft at theย Sunday Timesย said his save could be worth ยฃ100 million:
It felt like a key moment in the match, too, as another chance went begging for Chelsea, and Huddersfield drew extra belief from their goalkeeper's heroics.
Lossl is only on loan from German side Mainz but has played every Premier League game for the Terriers this season and has proved an excellent signing.
Chelsea Fans Aren't Impressed
Wednesday's draw was Chelsea's last home game of the Premier League season with the Blues finishing their campaign at St. James' Park against Newcastle United.
The players therefore set out on a lap of honour after the full-time whistle but were greeted by empty seats with supporters having left in their droves.
Football.London's Oliver Harbord showed the scenes:
Stamford Bridge was about one-tenth full, per Kinsella:
It's been a tough season for Chelsea as they've offered a poor defence of their title, and there has been ongoing speculation over Conte's future at the club.
The Blues could still end the season with some silverware as they are in the FA Cup final, but the supporters have made their disappointment clear.
