Why Expectations Are the Biggest Issue Facing Chelsea After Liverpool Game
When comparing win columns, Chelsea are behind Liverpool head-to-head 60 games to 74. One might think, considering their history, Liverpool would have a far greater margin of victory over the Blues than 14 games, but there is one factor unaccounted for: relegation.
From 1979 to 1984 the Blues were in England's Second Division. During that same time frame, Liverpool won two European Cups, four First Division titles and four League Cups, so it's fair to assume Chelsea escaped some mighty punishment hiding in the tier below.
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More recently, however, tides have changed, and Chelsea are one of England's most domineering clubs. In the past 10 seasons, the Blues have won everything possible, outside of super cups, and Blues supporters seem to have become slightly spoiled.
It's an understandable state, in all fairness, but a shortsighted one nonetheless.
Going to Anfield on Tuesday, many would have expected Chelsea to show the attacking flair they exhibited in Wales on Saturday, beating Swansea City 5-0. Many would have expected a Blues win. Many would have expected the two-legged tie to be finished in its first 90 minutes.
Though Chelsea is positioned atop the Premier League with a superb squad of world-class talent, and though they were set by a fantastic first half, some expectations are simply irrational.
Liverpool, despite being eighth in the league, have played well the past month, going unbeaten in nine matches since 14 December. The Capital One Cup appears their best chance at silverware in 2015/16, so thinking Chelsea would steamroll the in-form Reds at Anfield was nonsensical.
Jose Mourinho should look at the League Cup semi-final as a 180-minute affair. Over the first leg, in hostile territory, he achieved what he set out to accomplish: not losing the tie.
Were Chelsea to have opened the game, they would have run the risk of climbing mountains at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho elected to use caution and has 90 minutes to play the game he wants next Tuesday.
From undefeated seasons to quadruples, Chelsea are not just playing against opponents, they are playing against reason. In an era where everything is over-scrutinised and over-hyped, the Blues must compete in five competitions: The Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the UEFA Champions League and public perception.
Mourinho, though letting loose this season, does have certain tenets in his managerial style. The Portuguese is known around the globe as one who excels with solid defensive performances and counter-attacking prowess. In big matches Chelsea will almost always revert to type and attempt to control opponents with their defence.
One mistake, defensively or positionally, tends to be calamitous against sides of Liverpool's quality, and Tuesday night, Chelsea were punished by Raheem Sterling. But the Blues did not lose the game, and they have not lost the semi-final. They are in prime position to travel to Wembley Stadium on 1 March.
A draw at Anfield, while not spectacular, is a serviceable result with Stamford Bridge lurking around the corner. What are not lurking, but blatantly apparent, are the impractical and widely illogical expectations Chelsea are carrying this season.
When a team draws at one of the most hallowed grounds in world football and it is treated like a loss, the team on the pitch should not be investigated; people in the stands, behind televisions and typing on keyboards should.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase.com where not noted.
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