Chelsea's Set Piece Fragility Could Derail Treble Hunt

In the end, it turned out to be a comfortable afternoon at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Daniel Sturridge, and Salomon Kalou ensured Chelsea's progression to the quarter finals of the FA Cup at the expense of Cardiff.

Hopes of a treble remain alive, but the game against Dave Jones' side further highlighted a weakness that could derail those dreams: the Blues’ vulnerability at set pieces.

Every time the ball was played into Hilario’s box, Chelsea looked shaky. Michael Chopra and Jay Bothroyd both had gilt-edged chances, and the game could have panned out very differently if they had taken them.

This could be explained away by the absence of captain John Terry, but even when the skipper is at the heart of the defence, the same worries remain.

Indeed, it was Terry who was at fault for both of Louis Saha’s goals during Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Everton, a loss which saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to just one point.

While he was imperious against Arsenal last weekend, Terry was run ragged at Goodison Park.

It is not as if this is a new problem. Back in December, Everton once again took advantage of it, gaining a point at Stamford Bridge with a 3-3 draw.

Chelsea have conceded more goals from set pieces than any other team in the top flight. Out of the 22 league goals conceded by the club this season, 16 have come from dead ball situations. Hull manager Phil Brown has called it Chelsea’s “Achilles heel.”

Both Carlo Ancelotti and assistant Ray Wilkins have spoken in recent weeks about the problem, but little seems to have been done. If this weakness was rectified, the Blues would be almost unstoppable.

Didier Drogba is in fine form with 23 goals in 28 games, and Chelsea have failed to score in only one game this season—the 0-0 draw away to Birmingham on Boxing Day.

This could, come the final reckoning, cancel out any defensive frailties, but it is a risky move.

Games often hinge on one moment, and a piece of slack marking could be all that is needed to ensure that Chelsea’s quest for silverware goes up in smoke.