Chelsea will be discouraged from making excuses after dropping points to Champions League minnows Qarabag this week, however have reason to believe they didn’t get a fair shot in this game.
The Blues drew 2-2 in Azerbaijan despite taking the lead through Estevao Willian, as Enzo Maresca was made to pay for making seven changes to the side who beat Tottenham at the weekend.
Reece James was critical of the pitch the game was played on, but will have few backing his corner as Chelsea set themselves up for a crucial second half of the group stages.
A stop-start affair saw five yellow cards dished out by referee Sebastian Gishamer, with the Blues being adjudged to make 19 fouls in the game.
Qarabag FK v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4
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Chelsea will be fuming as ball in play for only 46 minutes in Champions League draw vs Qarabag
With 28 fouls in total, UEFA’s official report of the game stated that the ball was only in play for 46 minutes and 11 seconds, less than half of the 98 minutes the match lasted.
Chelsea will be left wondering how so many stoppages only resulted in a total of eight minutes of added time, especially as they were pushing hard for a winner in the latter stages of the game.
Both teams used all five of their substitutes too, and even though three of Chelsea’s occurred at half-time, the logic behind the lack of added-time only gets harder to comprehend.
The Blues will now need to finish with near-perfect form in the group stages to finish in the top eight, and still have the task of facing Barcelona as well as away trips to Atalanta and Napoli.
Ukraine v Azerbaijan - FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers, Group D
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Average time ball is in play in Premier League games
There have been consistent complaints around Premier League matches this season and how little football is being played.
According to The Guardian, the ball is in play for an average of 55 minutes a game domestically, making the figure from Chelsea’s trip to Qarabag even more staggering.
Maresca didn’t mention the lack of playing time as an excuse after the game, however will surely look back and wonder if his players actually had a fair shot of breaking down their resolute opponents.
With Barcelona expected to bring a far bigger challenge on the pitch next time out in the Champions League, Chelsea can hope that they will get more than 46 minutes to find a solution against the La Liga giants.