The lure of Champions League football cannot be underestimated, with Chelsea all too aware of the riches and rewards it brings.
Eden Hazard will go down as a legend at Stamford Bridge for his performances, but he may never have arrived in west London had it not been for Europe’s elite competition.
In 2012, the 21-year-old Belgium international was one of the most coveted players on the planet after his displays with Lille in Ligue 1.
When it became apparent he was leaving France, the race to sign Hazard intensified until he finally ended all the speculation by simply saying on Twitter: “I’m joining the Champions League winners.”
While the Blues are highly unlikely to win the competition this year after their first leg thrashing at home to Bayern Munich before the COVID-19 outbreak, Europe is still a legitimate proposition for next season.
Having already secured the signing of Hakim Ziyech, Frank Lampard is clearly showing the same levels of dedication and diligence in the transfer market as he did as a player.
RB Leipzig poacher Timo Werner seems set to snub Liverpool to join the Blues, while Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen is also on Chelsea’s transfer list.
But with ‘Project Restart’ set to thrust Premier League teams back into action in less than a week, securing Champions League football now is more important than ever for Lampard’s men. So how can they do it?
CHELSEA’S FINAL FIXTURES
Games against Sheffield United and Manchester City could help secure Champions League football for Chelsea
- Sun 21 June – Aston Villa (a) 4.15pm
- Thur 25 June – Manchester City (h) 8.15pm
- Wed 1 July – West Ham (a) 8.15pm
- TBC – Watford (h)
- TBC – Crystal Palace (a)
- TBC – Sheffield United (a)
- TBC – Norwich (h)
- TBC – Liverpool (a)
- TBC – Wolves (h)
Defensive structure
As February arrived and Chelsea had failed to bring in any reinforcements during the transfer window, Lampard cut a seriously frustrated figure.
Inconsistency has plagued the Blues throughout this season and much of this has come from their defensive mishaps.
Shipping soft goals at home to Sheffield United at the start of the season to let a 2-0 lead slip was an indication of what was to come, with West Ham United and Bournemouth also leaving west London with maximum points this season.
The signs are better, however, for Chelsea, with Kepa Arrizabalaga regaining his position after a poor run between the sticks and N’Golo Kante featuring during a friendly win over Reading, despite expressing concerns about playing football during a pandemic.
Tony Cascarino on Timo Werner choosing Chelsea over Liverpool
Clinical attackers
Despite enjoying the season of his career thus far, Tammy Abraham is not as clinical as Lampard would hope.
The England international has scored 13 goals this season, but has missed 17 ‘big chances’.
With the imminent arrival of Werner, who has scored 25 goals from 30 Bundesliga games, that could give Abraham a jolt as he looks to remain Chelsea’s number one marksman next season.
A return to Villa Park could provide the 22-year-old with the perfect chance to rediscover his scoring boots, with Aston Villa conceding 1.93 goals per game on average.
How could they look?
Despite the break coming at potentially the worst possible time after Chelsea found their momentum, the break has been kind to their club doctors.
Mateo Kovacic is back from a knock, Christian Pulisic has recovered from an adductor problem and N’Golo Kante has shaken off an Achilles injury.
Olivier Giroud and Pedro were starting to click before the break, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is back fit.
