Chelsea star is the best in the world and BlueCo are failing him after Arsenal loss

For significant periods of Sunday's showdown, Chelsea matched Arsenal. For some periods, they even looked the better team and the likelier to win the match. Yet they ended the night with 10 men, after Pedro Neto's stupid second yellow card, and zero points. That was not a majorly surprising outcome given Arsenal's strength. It was partly thanks to David Raya's stunning saves. But the match encapsulated a familiar theme - Reece James was again let down by some of his team-mates.

In James, Chelsea have a footballer who would slot straight into every team in the world's starting eleven. Even Arsenal's, even Real Madrid's, even Bayern Munich's. No disrespect to Jurrien Timber, Achraf Hakimi, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jules Kounde, but James is the best right-back on the planet. And by a distance. The 26-year-old is a truly immense footballer. He's irreplaceable.

At both ends of the pitch, James is a monster. He is also a leader of men. He can win matches in the final third as Alexander-Arnold did for Liverpool, and he can win them in his defensive third because he's as strong defensively as a prime Kyle Walker was for Manchester City. His deliveries at the Emirates Stadium, even though Chelsea lost 2-1, were gorgeous. His corner forced Piero Hincapie's own goal to draw Chelsea level.

Though while he has Moises Caicedo, who is inarguably world-class, and Cole Palmer - who can be world-class but whose level has dropped - alongside him, elsewhere, there is too much mediocrity. Robert Sanchez is one player the club can upgrade on. He was to blame for Jurrien Timber's winning goal. The hit-and-miss Neto, who effectively killed the game as a contest with his 70th-minute sending-off, is another.

There are a number of Chelsea players you can say either aren't good enough or consistent enough. Some are simply young and still developing. That is not their fault, but BlueCo's. BlueCo took control of Chelsea in 2023 and have since spent over £1billion on players. Such investment helped see them win the Conference League and Club World Cup last season. It has also got them back up the Premier League table. Remember, they finished 12th in 2022-23.

But Chelsea are the same club that won five league titles and finished second or third another six times between 2004 and 2017. They routinely won FA Cups, League Cups and European trophies. Despite their European success last season, Londoners haven't got remotely close to competing for a league title since their last triumph in 2017.

In James, they have a player who is more than good enough to win them more. But do Chelsea look like winning a title anytime soon? Not with this lot they don't. The gap to leaders Arsenal is now 19 points. They finished 15 off first last year.

Top five - and Champions League qualification - is the main aim right now. That would be a good achievement for Liam Rosenior, given he was drafted in mid-season. But if they fail to secure a seat at Europe's top table for next season, as they could with a tricky fixture list and Manchester United now rejuvenated, they are letting James down. Again.

The England international is operating at the very peak of his powers. He has played more games this season - 33 - than in each of his last four. That's showing in his performances. He HAS to be playing Champions League football. He should be enjoying one-vs-one duels against the very best wingers in Europe.

"The exciting thing for Reece is that he has levels to go even beyond where he is performing now," Rosenior said on January 9th. That's exciting for Chelsea fans. But it's only exciting if James is surrounded by the kind of quality he deserves next to him so he can captain Chelsea to more major honours.

He is the best right-back in the world and if he can conquer the injury troubles that have ruined some of his recent seasons, he can deliver the kind of regular success Chelsea were accustomed to under Roman Abramovich. But BlueCo need to improve their hit rate in the transfer market to make sure James' trophy cabinet fully matches his ability.