After putting three past Barcelona, Chelsea have now scored just one goal in two games against Bournemouth and Leeds United.
The Blues lost 3-1 to Leeds on Wednesday before drawing 0-0 with Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.
Andoni Iraola has admitted that there was one fear he had about Chelsea, who welcomed back Cole Palmer to their starting XI.
Who has disappointed you most from Chelsea’s scoreless draw with Bournemouth? 😶
Palmer might get a pass after two months out of the lineup.
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
In the end, though, the Spaniard did not have too much to worry about, as Enzo Maresca’s team did not do much in front of goal.
Head Coach Enzo Maresca of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Chelsea
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Andoni Iraola feared Chelsea’s counter-attacking threat
Chelsea are a team blessed with some incredibly quick wingers, including Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho.
Understandably, Iraola was worried about the threat that Chelsea could pose on the counter-attack.
Speaking to the Daily Echo in his post-match press conference, the 43-year-old said: “I think we’ve played a really solid game. Probably we were the team closer to win it.
“Even if you have to value the point because we were facing a very good team and you always have the fear that they can score a counter or they can make a difference like they did I remember past season’s game that was quite similar.”
Did Cole Palmer look a bit rusty?
Cole Palmer playing for Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Cole Palmer’s stats vs Bournemouth Total
Minutes 58
xG 0.08
Key passes 1
Accurate passes 26/38 (68%)
Crosses (accurate) 1 (0)
Total shots 1
Touches 49
Dribbles (successful) 3 (2)
Via Sofascore
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
Iraola’s Chelsea’s counterpart, Maresca, has done a very good job in the Stamford Bridge dugout since arriving.
Last season, Maresca was able to guide his side to two trophies and Champions League qualification.
However, if he were to leave west London, Iraola could be a good replacement after his own exploits at Bournemouth.
Head Coach Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Chelsea
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Chelsea fortunate to draw with Bournemouth
According to Sofascore, Chelsea’s xG at the Vitality Stadium was 0.88. Bournemouth, on the other hand, managed to register an xG of 1.37.
Throughout the 90 minutes, Chelsea also failed to create a single big chance, whereas their opponents managed to produce one.
The Cherries had one goal disallowed and missed one glorious opportunity in the game. Simply put, Chelsea did not deserve anything more than a point.
It is disappointing, as after the Barcelona and Arsenal games, it looked like they could compete against any side in the world.
In a one-off game, that is perhaps still the case. But over the course of a season, it is very unlikely that Chelsea will finish above Arsenal or Manchester City. Their next Premier League fixture is against Everton, which could be another tough test.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox