Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink does not think Chelsea are ready to challenge for the Premier League title this season. The former Blues forward believes Xabi Alonso’s team is still finding its feet, whereas Arsenal are clearly well ahead in their development.
Hasselbaink acknowledged some strong moments from Chelsea in their recent 3-2 victory over Fulham, but he also pointed out significant issues:
The three points were vital. There were times when Chelsea looked brilliant and played really well. But there were also instances that made you think, “Oh!” — they needed to clear the ball as far away as possible.
If Chelsea can consistently keep clean sheets, then they will have a chance.
The former striker shared his views on Robert Sanchez, who made mistakes during the Fulham match:
Would I replace him? He’s had some outstanding games. Outstanding, outstanding, outstanding! Like the one against PSG in the Club World Cup, and a few others. But there have been moments where it hasn’t gone well.
It’s all about consistency. The best goalkeepers are consistent — that’s a sign of quality. He needs to work on that. Will he manage it? I’m not sure, but he definitely needs to be more reliable.
As for Fulham’s first goal, I think he would be the first to admit that he can’t let that happen.
When asked if Chelsea could win the title with Sanchez in goal, Hasselbaink replied:
If they are to do it, he will have to raise his game significantly compared to what we saw in the first match.
Hasselbaink regards the current champions as the favourites for the league title this season:
Of course Chelsea will fight, but they won’t win the title. Arsenal are much stronger, psychologically ahead, and far more mature. They are well-developed as a team and a lot more stable.
Chelsea have a new manager, new ideas, and they’re playing with five at the back. On Monday, they played very well, but they are definitely not a finished team yet.
There’s still a lot of work to do. There are plenty of positive signs, but I don’t think Chelsea are ready to become champions just yet.
However, I do believe they will finish above Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool this season, largely because they have no European commitments and can focus on preparing for their Premier League matches week to week.
