Chelsea: What The Arsenal Loss Says About The Defending Champs

The defending champs started the season on fire. Against inferior opponents, the Blues scored 21 goals and had 15 points through 5 games. After they started slipping up, injuries were to blame and everyone expected them to start winning again. Unfortunately, they were never able to come out of the slump and now they are last on the form table (3 points in 6 games). In the league, they have only won once since October, and they are now 6 points back of Manchester United (7 back of City) with the Red Devils having a game in hand.

On Monday, Arsenal dismantled the Blues and humbled them more than any other match all season. December was Chelsea's chance to make a run at the top of the table, but they have only 2 points in 3 matches (the Manchester United match was cancelled) and are at risk of falling out of the top 5. So who or what is to blame for Chelsea's misfortunes?

First, the midfielders deserve a good deal of blame. While Frank Lampard has been declared fit to play, he is not playing up to form, causing the whole team to suffer. When the player that normally leads the attack from the middle is struggling, the offense suffers, big time. They haven't scored multiple goals in a league match since October, which is a major problem for a team that scored over 100 last season.

Florent Malouda started the season well, but he has since cooled off, and his giveaway at Emirates Stadium led to Arsenal's 3rd goal. Michael Essien has played the best of them, but he still hasn't played well enough for the team to win consistently. Ramires and Mikel haven't played well all season, and the Blues need at least one of them to start playing well if they have a legitimate shot of re-claiming the title.

Along with the poor midfield play, the defense has been just as disappointing. While John Terry is a solid rock, Ashley Cole and Paulo Ferreira have not been playing too well on the outside. With outside backs playing poorly coupled with injuries all season (Alex, Bosingwa, Terry), the defense has not been able to play up to form. Petr Cech has been hung out to dry time after time, and, despite his leadership in goal, he has only 1 clean sheet in the last 9 matches.

If the defense doesn't step up, the punch-less offense will continue to be exposed and the wins will not happen. If, however, the defense begins to play as well as they are capable of, the offense will have less pressure, and the wins will start flowing in.

Still, one of the biggest problems facing Chelsea is their lack of confidence. Last season, they would break teams down with a confident swagger, which is something they haven't had since the first month of the season. Against Arsenal, they looked like over-matched underdogs, while the Gunners broke down the champs seemingly without much effort.

Fabregas and Nasri made clever passes, attempted dangerous shots, and made Lampard and Malouda look like backups. Chelsea used to make top teams look punch-less; now, they are the squad that seems to be chasing the ball. Their frustration is clear, which adds to the disappointment.

They need to regain their confidence; otherwise, they will be fighting just to remain in the top 6.

In their championship season, they always appeared calm and collected, but that all seems a distant memory now. Maybe it's the departure of veterans like Deco and Ballack? Maybe it's the target on their back from winning the league last season? Maybe the injuries truly have prevented them from meshing and playing their best?

Regardless of the reason, Arsenal exposed Chelsea at Emirates Stadium, and the defending champs have a long way to go if they want to defend their title.