Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishIn the space of a few minutes after the final whistle of Chelsea’s 2-1 home defeat to Legia Warsaw, there were two moments which betrayed just how low the mood is among the players right now.First there was the sight of Cole Palmer, one of the most exciting players in the game not so long ago, looking demoralised and dejected as he walked alone down the tunnel. The spring and swagger in his step, which everyone got to see for the first 18 months of his Chelsea career, was a distant memory.What made it such a striking image was that Palmer had just reached his first European semi-final, albeit in the most minor UEFA club competition of the three available, since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023. Enzo Maresca’s side had won their Conference League tie 4-2 on aggregate but Palmer’s demeanour was as if the club had just been relegated from England’s top division.Then there was captain Reece James talking to TNT Sports afterwards. This is a man who has appeared to do his utmost since progressing from the youth ranks to the senior squad to give very little away to the media. But perhaps for the first time, the guard well and truly came down. He spoke freely and from the heart.“For sure we are making progress, but today was not progress,” he said. “If anything a step back. Maybe we disrespected the competition. But this is football. If you don’t prepare right, you will pay.“It’s going to affect the mindset. It’s going to be in the back of people’s heads. We lost when we shouldn’t have lost. We need to put it behind us. Sunday (the Premier League game against Fulham) is must-win.“I understand the frustration (of the fans). Fans come to games to see excitement, goals. Today, we were frustrating to watch. We remain focused. We still stick together. We look forward to achieving what we want together.”
James, the captain, spoke strongly after the defeat (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)The words were strong. The attempt to issue a rallying cry at the end? Unconvincing. The crestfallen way in which he delivered his message was maybe even more of an insight into his current mindset. The ambience at Chelsea has been on a downward spiral for months. All the joy from playing the game has disappeared from the Chelsea players’ faces.Chelsea cannot afford for the malaise to continue. Chelsea have six league games remaining to reach their primary goal of qualifying for the Champions League via a top-five finish. It still appears an achievable target because, even though they occupy sixth spot in the table, they are just five and three points behind Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest in third and fourth respectively. They play both teams during the run-in, while fifth-placed Manchester City are one point ahead of them.But it is hard to think of many teams in the league with lower morale than Chelsea seem to have right now. You could look at the doomed bottom three as being worse, although the way Ipswich Town played in securing a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday suggests otherwise.Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been in the doldrums all season but even they suddenly have the huge morale boost of their Europa League wins over Lyon and Eintracht Frankfurt to spark renewed optimism.Chelsea have had little reason to cheer. Beating Tottenham this month has probably been the highlight of 2025 but then it was just Tottenham. The unconvincing unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge this year has now gone and they have recorded five league wins from their last 16 fixtures.As has been well documented, a growing number of supporters have turned against Maresca and his playing style. There were more signs of dissent on Thursday night, including the team being booed off at the game’s conclusion. When can you recall any side getting such treatment after progressing to the last four of a competition?There was another form of protest in terms of the attendance. Granted, Chelsea won the first leg 3-0 and the Legia Warsaw section was particularly segregated from home fans. Still, a crowd of 29,027 represents the smallest gate at the ground this season. Fans voted with their feet.It feels like a mighty task for Maresca to turn this negative momentum around. All the teams around them in the hunt for a Champions League place come across as a happier place to be. There is a genuine buzz around Newcastle, Forest (despite back-to-back defeats) and Aston Villa, who only trail Chelsea on goal difference. Even Manchester City have something stirring again after a disappointing campaign because they have the motivation to ensure Kevin De Bruyne leaves on a high.
Maresca has much to ponder at Chelsea (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)When asked by The Athletic, Maresca conceded that the spirits are more upbeat elsewhere, although stressed the environment at Chelsea can soon improve. He said: “The other clubs in this moment, they can feel more confidence around them, not only Aston Villa, Newcastle, all the clubs around us, but this is football and can change very quickly, so it depends a lot on us. Winning on Sunday can give us a final boost to reach our target.“In this moment, you win games, you see yourself and you are very happy. If you don’t win, no one is thinking that you can finish in the right way, but for me it’s just how we manage the emotion.”On the eve of the second leg against Legia, Maresca had urged Chelsea fans to trust his methods and pointed to the numbers which showed progress is being made compared with the two seasons before he took charge last June.Pressed on whether losing to a side ranked 60 places below Chelsea in UEFA’s coefficient rankings hurt the argument he had put forward, the Italian replied: “For sure, in terms of setback, no doubt.”In terms of his standing with the fanbase this season, Marecsa could do with ensuring it is Chelsea’s last. (Top photo: Cole Palmer during Chelsea’s defeat to Legia. Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
