27th for shots, 26th for possession: what stats show about how far Chelsea are behind top rivals | OneFootball

Chelsea are 25% of their way through the season, and it feels like the end of the beginning of Enzo Maresca’s time at the club.

He’s got his feet under the desk, he’s had a chance to get to know the players and work with them a bit. The transfer chaos has calmed down and he’s starting to get comfortable. So with that first phase done – and he’s said himself he’s pleased with the speed of his team’s adaptation, what will the former Leicester coach be thinking about the numbers his side have put up since August?

The cups and Conference League have been played with essentially a different team, so we can leave them out. In terms of possession, his team are down at 26th in the whole of Europe’s top 5 leagues, according to WhoScored. That’s something Maresca will want to see improve before May – he wants more control and that’s how he wants to establish it.

The Blues are 27th for shots per game, with 14. That needs to go up too – and probably will as a result of more possession. Man City are miles clear of us with 19.3, Tottenham, Fulham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool all have more than us too – and that’s from the Premier League alone.

Our xG for the season is 20th, showing we’re at least getting a decent quality of shot in. We’re only a little behind City in this stat, at 21.16 to their 23.21. Closing that gap won’t be easy, but as our attackers mature and our attacking play develops, we expect it to happen.

Moises Caicedo celebrates in front of angry Man U fans. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Small tweaks can take Chelsea a long way

All in all the signs look good – our 3rd place in the table is hardly secure given the teams around us, but it’s also not a false position. A few tweaks in attack – and an improvement at the back and in goal – and the points will come soon after the numbers.