Premier League 3 things we learned: Chelsea need to reset

The Premier League returned this weekend, with big wins for Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. Here’s what we learned.

Chelsea need to quickly hit the reset button

It’s hard to believe we’re less than a year away from Chelsea’s title-winning campaign. Antonio Conte’s reign is crashing down to earth with his departure all but imminent. This Chelsea team aren’t set up to challenge for a title in their current format. It’s very likely we’ve seen the best of what this group of players have to offer.

The team were built to play in Conte’s style, which relies on world-class performances from the three center-backs and two wing-backs. It worked the past season, but evidently the shelf life of Conte’s tactics is limited. Opposing teams have adjusted well while Chelsea changed a few players names but stuck to the same game plan. The center-back issue is arguably the Blues’ most significant one, as Andreas Christensen has experienced some serious growing pains and failed to provide the defensive assurance needed in order for Conte’s system to operate successfully.

The other major issue for Chelsea fans is the futility of world-class players such as Eden Hazard and Willian. Both of these players’ potential seems to be wasted playing wide roles at the moment, and they both seem to be in cruise control ahead of the World Cup. In short, nothing really seems to be working for Chelsea at the moment, and it’s obvious that a reset is needed at the end of the season.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the classiest striker in the Premier League

With Arsenal’s game against Stoke fully under control and a chance for a hat-trick from the spot, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made the classy decision to let Alexandre Lacazette take the penalty. Going into the season, Lacazaette was supposed to be the main man bagging the goals at the Emirates. Aubameyang’s arrival in January signaled uncertainty for the French forward.

Arsene Wenger strongly favors a system based on one center forward, preferably with the speed and dynamism of Aubameyang. To make matters worse, Lacazette has been sidelined with a knee injury for the past two months. With the rivalry for the starting forward spot intensifying after Lacazette’s return as well as a chance for a hat-trick, the decision to take the penalty seemed to be the most ovbvious one for Aubameyang. To everyone’s surprise, the Gabonese striker decided to play the long game and defer to Lacazette to take the spot kick.

This is the kind of move that will endear Aubameyang to the Arsenal locker room and could be the catalyst for a glorious attacking partnership. In an era where so much focus is placed on individual achievements and accolades, it was refreshing to see a selfless decision made for the benefit of a teammate, especially when that teammate happens to be someone you’re competing with for playing time.

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Liverpool defense shows no signs of improvement

The arrival of Virgil van Dijk, the world’s most expensive defender, was supposed to bring in a sense of assurance to Liverpool’s back line. Safe to say, that any improvement has been marginal and that Van Dijk isn’t the cure-all for all that ails the Liverpool back four.

Opponents have been having success exploiting the youth and inexperience of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The 19-year-old may be a promising young talent but his pace and strength are under development and slightly below par for the rigors of the Premier League. Against Crystal Palace, Alexander-Arnold had a tough time against the likes of Wilfried Zaha, forcing the center-back pairing of Van Dijk and Joel Matip to be pulled out wide, unbalancing the back four in the process.

The Reds back line is still a work in progress, but given their overall performances against Manchester United and even lowly Crystal Palace, you have to be concerned for Liverpool’s ability to stop the likes of Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero in the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal against Manchester City.