Premier League 2017-18 season grades: Chelsea

Chelsea finished fifth in the Premier League in 2017-18, but what grade do they get for their performance?

Riding high in 2017, shot down in 2018. That’s Chelsea’s devolution from Premier League champions to fifth-placed also-rans in a nutshell.

From the kings of England to missing out on the Champions League. The crown has fallen off Antonio Conte’s head and landed with a thud at the surely soon-to-be cut loose manager’s feet.

For his own part, Conte seemed unaware or unconcerned about what comes next when asked after his side’s final-day defeat to Newcastle, per Goal’s Nizaar Kinsella:

Chelsea’s title defense looked doomed from the opening day when Conte saw his side lose 3-2 to Burnley at Stamford Bridge. There was no shortage of head-scratching results from the team that had set a record with 30 wins in the previous campaign.

Perhaps the clearest indicator Chelsea would be behind the curve in Conte’s second season came when Manchester City visited the Bridge in September. The would-be champions left west London with a 1-0 win, but the scoreline was far from an accurate reflection of how comprehensively Chelsea were outclassed.

Positive results against the top six continued to elude the Blues. Conte’s men couldn’t beat the worst Arsenal team of the Arsene Wenger era in two attempts (four counting the Carabao Cup semifinal).

Defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United and a home loss to Tottenham this calendar year effectively killed realistic hopes of a top-four finish.

Even when offered a reprieve, the FA Cup winners failed to take advantage. Instead, a limp finish included a 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield, before a 3-0 drubbing at Newcastle on the final day.

Beating United at Wembley can provide the proverbial silver lining. Yet not even a trophy will stop the uncomfortable questions about the futures of Conte and many of his players.

The manager

Conte’s protracted fallout with star striker Diego Costa, which resulted in the latter returning to Atletico Madrid, was as significant in Chelsea’s downfall as any other cause. His fallout with the club’s hierarchy over spending is likely to cost the 48-year-old his job.

Conte spent most of his second season in charge taking public shots at owner Roman Abramovich and his associates for a supposed lack of investment.

In fairness, the decision to sell vital holding midfielder Nemanja Matic to United last summer looked foolhardy at the time. His replacement, Tiemoue Bakayoko, has largely floundered.

Similarly, Costa’s replacement, Alvaro Morata, wasted a fast start in England’s top flight to become one of the most goal-shy finishers in the land.

The issues surrounding Bakayoko and Morata strike at the heart of Chelsea’s failings this season. For all Conte liked to tell people he hadn’t been backed in the market, the Blues still spent a pretty penny or two (or three) on a rogues’ gallery of flop signings.

Wing-backs Davide Zappacosta and Emerson Palmieri offered little. Nor did midfield pair Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley.

Conte’s best signing may well have been Antonio Rudiger. The center-back overcame a slow start to eventually show the pace and athleticism needed to survive the rough and tumble common in the Premier League.

Olivier Giroud proved an effective stop-gap for Morata when he arrived from Arsenal during the January transfer window. He scored some key goals, but there have always been doubts about the towering Frenchman’s ability to deliver against the very best when it matters most.

As much as Conte can rue the apparent lack of quality of Chelsea’s imports, he must accept responsibility for not doing more with what he had. The bones of a title-winning squad were still in place, yet too many of last season’s heroes faltered.

Pedro became a virtual non-entity, despite the forward’s pedigree, technique and eye for goal. It was a similar story with Willian, as the Brazilian’s flair was only used sporadically.

Conte also struggled to build the right the platform to allow creative maestro Cesc Fabregas to flourish.

There were some interesting attempts to riff the formula, though. One of the more inspired was moving Eden Hazard off the flank and into a central striking role.

It didn’t always work, but the mercurial No. 10’s pace and vision were better suited through the middle. Late in the season, Conte experimented with pairing like-for-like strikers Morata and Giroud together.

Placing Pedro in a free role in the middle between the midfield and forward lines also showed promise.

Yet for all his attempts to sprinkle some magic dust on a suddenly ordinary group, Conte was often his own worst enemy.

His decision to rest key players, including Hazard, for the visit of Huddersfield was borderline negligent. Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard was among those who emphasiszd the obvious and needless risks involved:

The stalemate with the Terriers ultimately cost Chelsea a Champions League place.

Their domestic campaign also unravelled every time Conte made squabbles over spending public. His protestations gave an easy out to under-performing players, while engendering an image and feeling of disharmony within the team.

The players

Choosing a leading light from this bunch is no easy task. N’Golo Kante comes closest thanks to another campaign of well-timed tackles, useful interceptions and relentless energy.

The tenacious Frenchman continued to break up play with more gusto and efficiency than any other enforcer in the league. He also displayed a too often overlooked technical aptitude, picking out some sweet passes to aid a few of Chelsea’s best moves.

Aside from Kante, Cesar Azpilicueta merits a mention. The versatile 28-year-old remains the best defender in the Premier League.

Azpilicueta had already thrived at both full-back spots before Conte converted him into a center-half to facilitate the switch to a back three. It’s proved a masterstroke as Azpilicueta has gone from strength to strength.

Aside from his defensive chops, this one-time midfielder also retains an eye for a pass. Azpilicueta chipped in with six assists in the league, most of them during Morata’s early goal glut.

Outside of Azpilicueta and Kante, star performers are hard to find. Hazard has remained a curious case.

His talent can never be disputed. Unfortunately, his consistency and application can never be taken for granted either.

All of this points to the harsh reality at Chelsea: This is a squad needing major work.

Decisions need to be made about Morata and Giroud. There’s a ton of deadwood to clear out, while getting Hazard back on form for more than a New York Minute remains a riddle few managers have been able to solve.

Ultimately, Chelsea finished their season on a high note with a win in the FA Cup. Yet that will do little to obscure the issues at the heart of the Blues’ downfall in the league.

Tough decisions await.

Grade: C