Chelsea may have ended their dismal run of away defeats with a 3-2 victory over Luton Town on Saturday, but the performance left much to be desired from the London club. Despite leading 3-0 with 20 minutes to go, the Blues nearly squandered their advantage and allowed the hosts to stage a remarkable comeback.

The result will do little to ease the pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has been under fire for his team’s inconsistent form and lack of identity. The Argentine has spent over £300 million on new signings since taking over from Frank Lampard in the summer, but has failed to get the best out of his star-studded squad.

Chelsea have been accused of being too predictable, too slow and too passive in their approach, relying on individual brilliance rather than collective cohesion. Their defence has been shaky, their midfield has been overrun and their attack has been wasteful. Their fans have been restless, their rivals have been mocking and their owner has been impatient.

Against Luton, Chelsea showed glimpses of their potential, but also exposed their flaws. They scored three goals, but could have had more. They conceded two goals, but could have had less. They dominated possession, but lacked penetration. They created chances, but missed opportunities. They were comfortable, but then complacent.

The game started well for the visitors, who took the lead in the 12th minute through Cole Palmer, who capitalised on a mistake by Luton defender Issa Kabore to fire home from a tight angle. Palmer, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City for £50 million in the summer, has been one of the few bright spots for the Blues this season, scoring 10 goals in all competitions.

Palmer was involved in the second goal as well, setting up Noni Madueke, who doubled the lead in the 37th minute with a powerful shot into the top corner. Madueke, who came through the Chelsea academy, has been a revelation since breaking into the first team, scoring seven goals in his last eight games.

The third goal came in the 70th minute, when Nicolas Jackson, another academy product, played a superb through ball to Palmer, who rounded the keeper and slotted into an empty net. It was Palmer’s second brace in a week, after he scored twice against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

At that point, it seemed like Chelsea had wrapped up the game and could cruise to a comfortable win. But Luton had other ideas. The hosts, who are fighting for their survival in the Premier League, showed great spirit and determination to mount a late rally.

They pulled one back in the 80th minute, when former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, who is on loan at Luton, headed in from a corner. Barkley, who was once hailed as the next big thing in English football, has seen his career stall at Chelsea, where he has struggled for game time and form. He did not celebrate his goal against his parent club, but he did give them a scare.

Seven minutes later, Luton reduced the gap to one, when Elijah Adebayo, who joined from Fulham in the summer, poked in from close range. Adebayo, who has scored six goals for Luton this season, gave Chelsea’s defence a torrid time with his pace and power.

Luton pushed for an equaliser in the dying minutes, but Chelsea held on to secure a narrow win. The final whistle was met with relief by the Chelsea players and staff, who knew they had escaped with three points. The Luton fans, who had packed the small Kenilworth Road stadium, applauded their team for their valiant effort.

Pochettino admitted that his team had made it hard for themselves, and praised Luton for their comeback. He said that his team needed to improve their mentality and their consistency, and that he was still working on finding the best system and the best players for his vision.

Edwards, on the other hand, was proud of his team’s performance, and said that they had shown that they could compete with the big teams. He said that his team had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and that they would keep fighting until the end.

The win lifted Chelsea to 10th place in the table, but they are still 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. The loss left Luton in 18th place, but they are only two points from safety, with a game in hand as well.

Chelsea will face a tougher test on Tuesday, when they host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. Luton will hope to build on their display on Wednesday, when they travel to Burnley.

🚀🥶[chelseafc] #cfc pic.twitter.com/L9MwEnsKtD

— CFCDaily (@CFCDaily) December 30, 2023