"Oh Chelsea, Chelsea, you've lost your way out of West London!~"
"Bragging about bringing in the Footballer of the Year—how enviable!~"
Coming with supermodels and little stars, you must be jealous! Unbuckle your belts and let loose; let's have fun together!~"
Fewer than two thousand Manchester City fans were huddled in the corner of Stamford Bridge, but their voices were no less powerful than the Chelsea faithful. As they sang, fists clenched and hearts stung across the home stands — because, deep down, the chants struck a nerve.
To some extent, the mockery from City's fans simply laid bare an uncomfortable truth.
Chelsea's supporters had traditionally come from working-class backgrounds. But as property prices in West London soared, many of those original, blue-collar fans were gradually pushed out — forced to "leave home" and move further south.
The heart of Chelsea's support was being displaced, not by footballing failure, but by economic reality.
