In terms of the APLT it's not a bad result but something the APLT doesn't address is the affect on the belief of the Chelsea players. Going into future matches knowing how far behind they are and also that they've failed to win yet another game is likely to hinder their future performances I would have thought.
Very true. From a strict APLT perspective, they've hit par with that score, and if they continue to do so, they would almost certainly still be capable of finishing in a top 4 slot. -15 would have them ending the season on a very respectable 75 points. The vital thing for them today was not to lose.
They just don't look like going on that sort of run over the rest of the season, though, and their remaining Par 1 games, away to Man Utd, Palace, Arsenal, Southampton, Liverpool and Swansea aren't likely to bring back many of the dropped points. It's hard to see them improving at all, and if fact, it now looks like they would have to improve dramatically just to stay on -15.
Chelsea's top four hopes are really getting more and more theoretical as time goes on, and the next few games for them can't really help, even if they go on a run of four wins in the next four matches, they'd stil be on -15.
It's a blow to Tottenham, though. Dropping two points in Par 3 games at home is the reason they are racing for the top four rather than the title. They may be unbeaten at White Hart Lane, but Chelsea are the fourth side to come away from there with a point already, that's eight APLT points dropped at home in draws, and Spurs are on -11.
