Down to Ten Men

The shock 1-0 home defeat to newly-promoted Bournemouth was yet another body blow for Chelsea in what has already descended into a nightmare season where very little, if anything at all, has gone right.

Jose Mourinho has cut a forlorn figure on the sidelines as his team have been a distinct shadow of the one that dominated the Premier League with a swagger and ruthlessness that set them apart from the rest.

Bookies highlighted the fact that most bookmakers installed Chelsea as favourites to retain their league crown, but their latest defeat not only leaves them firmly in the mire in the bottom half of the table, but also dented any hope of clawing some credibility back by reaching the top four.

There is still time for Chelsea to resurrect their season with twenty-three games still to play, but if recent performances and results are anything to go by, then it may be worth writing off the 2015/2016 campaign altogether and starting afresh next season.

Juventus are still far away from mounting a serious title challenge this season. The team has been showing some decent run of form only in the last few weeks.

Three victories in the last five have seen them rise to 7th in the table. They, however, still remain almost 10 points behind table leaders Fiorentina. A major factor behind this poor form has been the loss of key players like Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez in one transfer window. Equally important has been the lack of good performances from midfielder Paul Pogba. The French international was linked with a world record transfer to Barcelona or Chelsea in the summer.

The Jurgen Klopp era at Liverpool is a matter of days old, yet to take in its opening Premier League fixture, but the German tactician has already been handed his first managerial headache on Merseyside.

Thursday brought the news of season-ending injuries to Danny Ings and Joe Gomez, with cruciate ligament damage bringing their respective campaigns to a premature conclusion.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri will not be taking over at clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea, who have been criticised by some for throwing money in order to buy success, according to his close friend, Leeds United ownerMassimo Cellino.

Chelsea versus Arsenal is always one of the most heated games in the Premier League. The London derby is no stranger to tempers flaring and, in many ways, it’s what fans have come to expect. They want to see their teams put everything on the line to secure the win. They want to see hard challenges - with a card or two being inevitable.

Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck has sent a title warning to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City.

He says that the club’s end of season form is a strong reminder that they will be competing for the league title from next season. Arsenal have won the title since the 2003-04 season. However, it is firmly believed that the club will be setting their sights on winning the league title after having achieved back-to-back FA Cup successes. Welbeck just completed his first season at Arsenal after his £ 16 million move from Manchester United.