Chelsea might have been unable to put an end to their nine-year winless run at Old Trafford against Manchester United on Thursday evening, but Thomas Tuchel's side left viewers in little doubt of which team is higher in the league. The draw left the Blues guaranteed to finish higher than Ralf Rangnick's team, who currently sit in sixth place with their Champions League qualification ambitions hanging by a thread.
The interim United boss conceded his side were fortunate to come away with a point, while Tuchel is sure to be frustrated that Kai Havertz was unable to put the finishing touches to a much improved Chelsea performance. The German coach remains adamant his side must actively earn their spot in the Champions League, and Thursday's display will have reassured him his side are still ready to fight this season.
However, with just a single win required, Chelsea's place in Europe's premier competition is all but assured, and the Blues will find themselves finishing third, as has now been expected for a large portion of the season. When asked if finishing chances has proved the missing link to catching Manchester City and Liverpool, Tuchel reflected that the answer lies elsewhere.
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He said: "The big difference is Man City and Liverpool in these moments, a full squad available, and we struggled with Covid periods and long-term injuries. This is more decisive than the other thing. We had weeks where we were composed, strong, and efficient in front of goal."
It is difficult to argue with the influence Reece James had at Old Trafford. That said, with five games remaining, Chelsea sits 14 points behind Pep Guardiola's league leaders - that is still a substantial gap to resolve in 2022/23 with an uncertain summer ahead.
Following the signing of Romelu Lukaku, many expected Tuchel's side to be among the favourites for the title, and given the results Chelsea generated in the early stages of the season, perhaps in some respects, they were vindicated. Ahead of the first match of the season, the Blues' head coach was more diplomatic.
"When you come fourth, you are not favourite the next season," he said. "We have some gaps to close, we let Liverpool pass us in the last match, and we have a big gap to close to Manchester United and Manchester City."
The 48-year-old saw little reason to doubt that the Red Devils would falter with signings such as Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho. However, what has unfolded at Old Trafford shows competitiveness can be fragile. With summer departures on the horizon at Chelsea, a number of big decisions to be made an ageing and the next generation of stars alike, Tuchel must ensure the Blues can continue to grow - even with the additional pressure from the wait for a new owner.
However, Liverpool finished 17 points off the title winners and in third place last season. Now they are pushing all the way to the wire. A lot can change in 12 months, and it can be positive. Jurgen Klopp has provided stability and made smart transfers to add to Liverpool's array of talent in Ibrahima Konate, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott. Chelsea should also take heart from that. They will be under pressure in the summer transfer window, but improvements can still be made.
