“Bet on the Street Chicken, Never on Chelsea”

 

Chelsea, as expected, fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Manchester United. Meanwhile, Arsenal lost the "title decider" against Manchester City 1-2. It seems the Premier League always has a "director" behind the scenes, ensuring the drama lasts until the final matchday—whether this is match manipulation is self-evident. Unlike the Bundesliga, where Bayern Munich can clinch the title four rounds early with a 50-goal lead, such a scenario never happens in the Premier League. On the contrary, a single team dominating for too long is something the FA loathes to see, which explains the recent investigations into the "Sky Blues" (Manchester City). Pep Guardiola is bound to leave City, and his successor will likely be his disciple, Maresca. As for Arteta, he is simply no match for his master; despite the favorable conditions this year, failing to win the title will surely lead to his departure. Under his tenure, Arsenal lacks creativity beyond set-pieces designed to obstruct the goalkeeper; they have failed to unleash their offensive flair and their defense remains mediocre. The competition in the Premier League is so fierce that the number of managerial sackings this year is undoubtedly the highest in the world.

Despite the consecutive losses, the club claims Rosenior’s job is safe. In a recent dialogue with fans, they shockingly claimed that statistics show no direct correlation between team results and the manager’s performance. This absurd statement has triggered protest marches by the Chelsea faithful. While the loss to City could be blamed on a gap in quality, this match saw the Blues completely dominate the Red Devils—only to hit the woodwork multiple times and waste over 20 shots, eventually losing to a single counter-attack. Rosenior’s caliber is limited; his mission in France was mere survival (relegation battles), but here, the expectation is to win trophies every year. How much experience does he actually have facing elite teams in the Premier League? Asking him to "level up" at Chelsea, spending billions and wasting years to restart, is easier said than done—after all, Chelsea is a club defined by results.

In recent years, the club has adopted a "lottery-style" recruitment strategy, buying massive amounts of youth players while rejecting experienced veterans and proven managers. This has led to poor results and fan clashes, and time is running out for the board. The Blues have already lost several crucial matches; players are avoiding conflict to stay fit for the World Cup, and talented stars are looking for the exit. Morale is low, and players are clearly "clocking in" without putting in the effort, dominating possession but failing to score. In the history of the Premier League, no club has ever won the title without a world-class manager, a "rookie" coach, or by relying solely on a youth squad. And of course, there is no record of a club succeeding under American ownership without descending into chaos. The Americans are already struggling with geopolitical issues like Iran; now, they have to learn English football from scratch.

A move for a world-class manager after the World Cup is inevitable, as is the signing of experienced, high-quality players. However, the club’s current strategy seems to be turning the Blues into a mid-table side, aiming to profit from future player sales. This explains why they are gutting their own academy and overpaying for players from Brighton and Manchester City. While some are quality signings, the logic remains baffling. Two years ago, Chelsea could go toe-to-toe with any giant; last year, they still had two trophies to show for it. Now, they are "weak against the strong and toothless against the weak," performing exactly like a mid-table club—which is perhaps the owner’s ultimate wish.

"Better to buy a street-side chicken than to bet on Chelsea" has become a popular saying on mainland betting sites. The manager needs to "level up," the owners need to "level up" their football knowledge, and the young players need to "level up" their experience. Even the fans, it seems, are being forced to "level up" their tolerance for constant losing.