Chelsea’s season, once brimming with early promise and whispers of a title challenge, has veered into dangerous territory. Their 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League was more than just a setback, it was the latest and clearest indication that Enzo Maresca’s vibrant but inexperienced side is confronting the harsher realities of elite football. Chelsea are now winless in four across all competitions, their European fate hanging by a thread, and their Premier League form wobbling at the worst possible moment.
For months, “youthful energy” and a deep squad has been the label attached to this squad. But right now, it is their youth that is dragging them down.
A Soft Underbelly Exposed Again
Chelsea’s defeat in Bergamo offered a painfully familiar narrative. They started brightly, scored first, and then wilted under pressure. That collapse broke two remarkable streaks: they had not lost a Champions League match after scoring first in 44 games, and hadn’t lost away after leading at half-time since 2005. The club’s proud European resilience has evaporated, replaced by a fragility that opponents now sense and exploit.
Atalanta did exactly that. The Serie A side’s high press, intensity, and tactical aggression were no surprise—not to Chelsea supporters, and certainly not to Maresca, who knows Atalanta boss Raffaele Palladino well. Yet Chelsea looked shocked by the intensity, unable to regain control after conceding.
This wasn’t a tactical ambush. It was a test of temperament, and Chelsea failed it.
Rotation and Defensive Disruption Are Hurting, Not Helping
Five changes from the weekend draw against Bournemouth raised eyebrows. Some were forced through injuries, others calculated risks, but the end result was the same: a loss of rhythm, especially in defence.
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Trevoh Chalobah’s planned half-time substitution for Wesley Fofana disrupted the back line further. When Fofana later limped off injured, Chelsea found themselves in disarray. Maresca defended his rotation, insisting most of the team had also featured in their big games against Barcelona, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Wolves, but there is a growing sense that changing the core too frequently is preventing the side from finding consistency.
Defensive errors, unfortunately, are becoming a pattern. For Atalanta’s first goal, Gianluca Scamacca was allowed to peel away far too easily for a header. The second was even more avoidable: Marc Cucurella, worried about an overlapping run, backed off instead of engaging, while Benoit Badiashile failed to close the gap. That hesitation invited Charles De Ketelaere to pick his spot, and he didn’t miss.
When the scorer admits, “They kept dropping back so I shot,” the problem is obvious.
A Glimmer of Grit: Acheampong Shines
Chelsea’s one bright spark in Italy was 19-year-old Josh Acheampong. With exemplary positioning, fierce tackling, and unflappable composure, he showed a grit and maturity that much of the squad currently lacks. Maresca openly regretted not starting him in the damaging defeat to Leeds, and his performance in Bergamo may now force the manager’s hand.
Acheampong was everything Chelsea are currently not: calm, physical, and fearless.
A Slide That’s Hard to Ignore
Since the high of a dramatic draw against Arsenal and a thrilling dismantling of Barcelona, Chelsea have deteriorated quickly. Leeds outworked them, learning from their own defeat to Manchester City and using that blueprint to overpower Maresca’s side. Bournemouth, despite their own struggles, never looked overawed at Stamford Bridge. It was a week that pretty much any ended any hopes of the title, but they should still finish in the top 4, according to the Premier League betting markets, they are 9/10 to be playing Champions League football next season.
The truth is unavoidable: Chelsea are playing like what they are, an exceptionally talented but inexperienced team with shaky game management.
Their mentality is brittle. Their control evaporates under stress. And as fixtures pile up, cracks are widening.
Champions League Fate on the Line
Chelsea’s hopes of finishing in the Champions League’s top eight group spots now hang on their final two fixtures: Pafos at home and Napoli away. Failure means a play-off tie, and yet another match added to an already punishing schedule. Given the state of the squad, that outcome feels dangerous.
The Premier League Challenge Doesn’t Get Easier
As if the European pressure weren’t enough, next up in the Premier League is an in-form Everton side rejuvenated under David Moyes. They’ve won four of their last five, are physically robust, and enjoy a full week’s rest before visiting Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, meanwhile, look tired, thin, and tactically unsettled.
Some injured players will return, and more rotation is expected, but this is the worst possible time for a wobble. December is unforgiving, and Premier League tables tighten quickly. Chelsea cannot afford to drift.
Growing Up Starts Now
Maresca’s vision for Chelsea remains compelling: front-foot football, technical excellence, and a squad built for the future. But right now, the future needs to wait. The present demands something simpler: steel. Chelsea’s youngsters must learn to suffer, to grind, to kill games off when leading.
Until they do, the winless run may only grow.
The next steps are clear: toughen up, steady the defence, and rediscover the control that defined their best performances earlier in the season. There is still time to salvage momentum, but Chelsea need to grow up fast.