Form Is Temporary, Class Is Permanent

While only weeks ago many pundits had already declared that Chelsea had won the Premier League title, the magic of football has once again shown us to never trust our instincts. Chelsea have not won the Premier League by any stretch of the imagination, but they are, irrefutably, the classiest squad in England. I can say this, because. This is the difference between class and form.

While the sheer presence of Ryan Giggs (who is, for me, the classiest player in the Premier League by miles) may have some thinking that Manchester United are on the same level as Chelsea, the truth is that Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is filled with untouchables. Chelsea’s loss to Manchester City, followed by a draw at Stamford Bridge against Everton are certainly a few bumps in the Terry & co.‘s campaign, but  anyone watching the Blues will realize that they simply were not playing to their potential.

I know Arsene Wenger uses the excuse that his squad didn’t play to its potential every time the Gooners lose a game, but objectively these claims don’t hold to much bearing. With the imminent class of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Nicolas Anelka, Joe Cole, and Frank Lampard on display week-in, week-out (with the exception of the past two weeks), Chelsea has shown why they rise above Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

Chelsea, both in practice and in theory, should never actually lose a Premier League game if they are playing well. The squad is filled with world-class talent in every position and on the bench, which alone puts it in front of the other ‘Big Four’.

Take Liverpool for instance, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are indisputably amongst the world’s best, but they are surrounded by some incredibly ordinary talent. I firmly believe that a team is only as good as its weakest play, and when you force Gerrard to play alongside Lucas or Torres to play alongside David Ngog, then you limit these players by asking them to do everything for the team.

Barcelona has achieved the golden standard for a squad without weakness, but Chelsea is not far behind. Like Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side, Chelsea has the luxury of squad depth, which, if implemented correctly, motivates players to constantly stay at the top of their game. While Thierry Henry is one of the best players on Barcelona, he often saw the bench because of Guardiola’s policy of starting the eleven players who are best in form each week.

While you couldn’t imagine the likes of Fabregas, Rooney, Gerrard, or Torres not starting for their respective clubs, Chelsea has the ability to willingly replace every one of their stars with yet another star fighting for minutes. Arsenal, after losing Robin van Persie, have shown that they clearly do not have this ability. If Frank Lampard loses focus, in you go Joe Cole. If John Terry is asking for a red card, get in there Alex. If Drogba won’t stop whining, terrorize the defence Kalou.

Chelsea has not won the Premier League yet, and I’m not going to say they will. But with every asset at his disposal, there is no reason why Don Carlo shouldn’t be bringing the silverware back to the Bridge.