Sam Allardyce says he knows exactly why Chelsea have struggled recently

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Chelsea’s form has taken a real dip in recent weeks.

Chelsea were title contenders before Christmas, but, now they’d do well to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	26	14	5	7	44	33	11	47
4	ChelseaChelsea	27	13	7	7	52	36	16	46
5	Man CityManchester City	26	13	5	8	52	37	15	44

Chelsea won against Southampton on Wednesday, but the Blues have won just three of their last 11 league matches at this point.

So, what has gone wrong at Chelsea?

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, Sam Allardyce has been discussing Chelsea’s recent problems, and he says he knows exactly why the west Londoners have collapsed recently.

• READ MORE: Chelsea fans send a clear point to Enzo Maresca after watching what Tyrique George did vs Southampton

Sam Allardyce knows why Chelsea are struggling

Allardye spoke about Chelsea’s recent struggles.

The former England manager has claimed that he knows exactly why Chelsea have collapsed, claiming that they are nowhere near where they once were from a defensive point of view.

“Why have they collapsed? I know why they’ve collapsed because they don’t defend very well,” Allardyce said.w

“They used to defend, they were getting the defensive and the attacking side right, and they were winning every week.

“All of a sudden, the defensive side has collapsed again. What has he done? Has he ignored it again?

“I’ve always moaned the last three years, does anyone coach defending now? There’s been a shift in long ball, it’s coming back more and more teams are deciding that there is another way to play, and there always has been.

Chelsea’s recent defensive record analysed

Allardyce says Chelsea’s defensive record has been their problem as of late, and he’s not wrong.

Indeed, Chelsea’s clean sheet against Southampton on Wednesday was the first league clean sheet Chelsea have kept in 2025.

Chelsea were never the best defensive team in the division, but their performances in recent times in that regard have got a lot worse.

Ian Wright said Chelsea need a new centre-back before the January transfer window, but the Blues have failed to address that area.

Chelsea are interested in Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, so perhaps that’s a potential solution to Enzo Maresca’s current problems.

There’s a lot to like about this Chelsea team, and there’s a lot of talent in this squad, but they do need more stability at the back if they’re to kick on and challenge for major honours such as the Premier League or the Champions League – should they qualify.