
Paul Merson has cast doubt on Chelsea’s ability to sustain a Premier League title challenge following their dramatic Boxing Day loss to Fulham. The Blues fell to a 95th-minute winner from Rodrigo Muniz in a chaotic west London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Despite the defeat, Chelsea remain second in the table, but they could drop to third if Arsenal win their game in hand against Ipswich on Friday night. Liverpool, meanwhile, extended their lead at the top with a commanding 3-1 victory over Leicester City, leaving them on 42 points.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson shared his concerns about Chelsea’s approach:
“Chelsea kept sitting back (against Fulham),” Merson said. “Since they have gone second in the league, I don’t know if the nerves have hit them and they’ve got a little bit tight, because against Everton they weren’t great either.
“It ups the expectation, 100 per cent. Now all of a sudden we’re talking about Chelsea getting top four, whereas before it was, ‘Chelsea are in the title race.’
“It’s all built up and I just thought they looked nervous (against Fulham). They’ve got too many good players to sit back like that. For me, they are not really a major counter-attacking team.”
The title race is still a bit open, with Manchester City, who have won six of the last seven Premier League titles, also slipping up on Boxing Day after a 1-1 draw with Everton at the Etihad.
Liverpool, the only team to have disrupted City’s dominance in recent years by winning the 2019-20 title under Jurgen Klopp, now appear to be in pole position to reclaim the crown.
Chelsea’s next game could prove pivotal as they aim to bounce back and keep their fading title hopes alive. However, as Paul Merson suggests, their recent performances raise serious questions about whether they can handle the pressure.