5 reasons Chelsea will not be in the title race in 2018

#4 Consistency

David Luiz has had an excellent season in his second spell at Chelsea

Chelsea’s current success can be attributed to their incredible teamwork and work ethic, and also to the consistent performances put in, week in, week out by the entire squad. Moses has adapted brilliantly to his new role in the team and has shown verve and determination in attack and defence; Azpilicueta has added calmness to the backline, while Luiz has finally come good in a Chelsea shirt, albeit on the second attempt.

Hazard has driven the team and won games by taking it by the scruff of the neck and landing killer blows, and Diego Costa has matured as a footballer and has toned down on the petulance, while still holding the aggressiveness on the pitch and the goals.

But, can the team as a whole, and each of the players individually, sustain this level of consistency in the second season with the addition of Champions League football and the opposition finding out the chinks in the Chelsea armour? The recent defeat against Crystal Palace showed that Chelsea could find it difficult to breach stubborn defences and managers who ‘park the bus’, which will be the norm next season.

Time will only tell, but there is a huge possibility that the performances of a few Chelsea players will drop next season when the pressure will be on them to retain the title.