Chelsea’s busy schedule is beginning to affect the players both physically and mentally. It is clear that such demands could tire even the best athletes in the world. Players have had to play three times a week and have kept this up since January. They are visibly worn out, but somehow managed to find the strength to win their last matches and achieve their goals.
This fatigue manifested itself when Lampard lashed out at Luiz during the Europa League clash against Rubin Kazan. The reason was the Brazilian’s lack of concentration that led to Chelsea’s loss against the Russian side. Even if the Blues still managed to qualify for the next stage of the competition, they still had some not so pleasant moments on pitch. At the end of the first half, Lampard was visibly unhappy with the way Luiz was performing and pointed at him several times while going towards the tunnel. Things would have probably heated up if Cech had not interfered to cool both of his teammates down.
According to Dailymail.co.uk, Benitez talked in the press conference after the game about the incident. Oddly enough he tried to turn things around by saying that it is a good thing players are arguing because it can lead to improving their game as it shows they are passionate about what they are doing. It is not the Spaniard’s first slightly odd comment of the season and Benitez quickly changed the subject and talked about about what is to come for the rest of the season.
The match against Rubin Kazan was Chelsea’s 58th fixture of the season. Benitez wanted people to know that this is an important thing to consider when analyzing the way his players behave. It has been a very stressful period and they must keep their composure if they want to win something this year. The match against City is next and the fight for a spot in the Premier League top 4 is closer than ever. The Blues still have a great chance of winning the FA Cup and the Europa League. As far as the Premier League goes they are considered favorites to finish third.