Chelsea are fragile before meeting Manchester City, Manchester United at home to the bottom club no longer looks a walkover and will it be same old for Saints despite a new manager?
It is far too early for any “I’m Sarri I haven’t a clue” headlines but the past few weeks have given a more accurate impression of the job Chelsea’s manager faces. Their defeat by Wolves was sloppy, particularly given they looked comfortable at 1-0 up, and with an evisceration by Spurs still fresh in the memory Sarri is presented with his first real bump in the road. The odds on things improving this Saturday, when Manchester City visit Stamford Bridge, are unpromising but Sarri has always been aware this would be a rebuilding effort and the squad still requires a mini overhaul if the gap with City is to be closed in the long term. The setback at Molineux proved that Sarri does not yet have the facility to rest key players: Jorginho, who stayed on the bench throughout, was missed and greater depth is surely a priority in January. City may show Chelsea how far there is to go; the hope must be that those in the club’s corridors of power are, for once, sympathetic. NA
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