Chelsea mauled by City in 2nd half blitz as familiar aches resurface.

Against vast swathes of empty blue seats, Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s best player yet to publicly question the club or his place in it, collects the ball in his own half – far away from where he’d have liked to be on the pitch, further still from the kind of project he was sold on his way in.

For 45 minutes, it looked like the players could yet overshadow calamitous squadbuilding and gross incompetence. City probed meticulously, registering 344 passes in the first half, the most by a visiting team since the metric was first recorded in the 2003/04 season. City only mustered five shots, three of them blocked as bodies flew around the box.

Andrey Santos dropped from midfield into a back five, with Palmer and Caicedo supporting a front 3 in holding an aggressive 5-2-3 that looked close to Palace under Glasner than Chelsea under Maresca. Neto sparkled in the first 45, surging forward down the left on the break, creating three chances.

Marc Cucurella, reprising a role that saw him register 10 G/A in all competitions last season, timed late runs past a distracted City line, the best one leading to a neat finish past Donnarumma that was disallowed for offside. A ballooned header at the end of the half from an unmarked Santos was as much a sign of encouragement as it was as an omen of that familiar capitulation.

Rayan Cherki cost almost half as much as Gittens and Neto, but provided the kind of ingenuity Chelsea have lacked in attack since Palmer’s extended lull. His cross from the right found Nico O’Reilly who swats off Santos like dust on a sleeve before powering in the opener.

Cherki’s 2nd assist was even more exquisite – a gentle prod needled through the Chelsea defence at the exact second it was pushing up. By the time they were able to react, Guehi had already lined up his shot, rifling it past Sanchez.

It is hard to focus on the pitch when so much has happened off it. Before the game, Enzo Fernandez, dressed like a guiri ambling on the streets of Madrid, winking, smiling, almost relieved to be dissociated from it all. The days following his infamous courting with Real was followed like clockwork by BlueCo’s character assassination briefs, highlighting how his teammates were fed up, backed up by Rosenior claiming there were still ‘things in the air’ during the pre-game presser.

City’s last goal came after Caicedo, the undisputed player of the club’s season until 2026 began, was dispossessed by Doku, who went on to seal another game without a win against a top 4 rival. It is not so much the defeat but the manner of it; a side that built its legacy of running through brick walls feels like it has turned around and met one.

Chelsea have now lost 8 games in all competitions in just over two months since Rosenior took over. No Chelsea team barring the 22/23 side has lost more after February in this millennium. Keep aside hapless Port Vale and 15 goals have been shipped in the last five games, the goal difference advantage over 5th placed Liverpool now whittled down to a measly +2.

Should the demise of Chelsea’s Champions League dreams hasten in the coming weeks, Rosenior’s headaches will rise exponentially, but it is a different thing altogether whether they will remain his to resolve next season. The incompetent builders of Chelsea’s project will undoubtedly be ready tomorrow, to rave about new cans of paint, but everyone inside can smell the rot and one wonders how many want to be around before the inevitable collapse.