Chelsea going up against Arsenal for the Community Shield trophy should have proven all the doubters wrong about Antonio Conte’s team chances of winning the English Premier League back-to-back. However, the match only goes to show how unprepared Chelsea is for the coming storms.

It didn’t take long to realize Chelsea was in no position to win the match against Arsenal in the first half. The team appeared confused and lacked determination, but still managed to hold on as Arsenal pressed for the opening goal.

It was the second half where Chelsea showed signs of hunger, but even then, Arsenal was still holding the upper hand.

It was clear here that without the likes of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, Chelsea doesn’t possess the means to bully its way to victory.

Victor Moses to the rescue

Despite the lack of quality play, Chelsea took the lead after Victor Moses scored his first goal in nearly a year. Things took an unfortunate turn for the Blues as Pedro was given an immediate record for his bad tackle. Right after that, Arsenal scored to tie the game.

Now, with ten men on the grass and Arsenal hunting, one would think Chelsea’s record signing Alvaro Morata would have worked some magic to get the Blues back in front. However, the player was ineffective. He was given two great chances, one especially from Willian, and he squandered it away.

It’s only been nearly two weeks since Morata has been at Chelsea, and he has so far played in three games. Unfortunately, the player has yet to impress, and this should raise a lot of questions. Not to mention, he failed to score from the penalty spot, another sign this player might spend the rest of his career on the bench.

Conte is in a tight spot

Antonio Conte is likely not a happy man after Chelsea failed to sign Romelu Lukaku, a player with extensive experience playing in England. The recent big acquisitions of Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, and Antonio Rudiger looks great on paper, but the squad hasn’t grown stronger.

The manager has made it clear he needs more players, but whether or not the Chelsea board is willing to make that happen is to be seen.

One has to remember the days when Jose Mourinho was the manager at the club. He rallied the team to victory in the league but was underprepared for the following season. This is something Conte does not want to mimic.

As it stands right now, Chelsea is in a lot of trouble. The English Premier League is not the only trophy the team is after, but also the European Champions League title. Because of this, Conte needs a lion similar to Costa up front. Morata is not that player.
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