Chelsea begins its Champions League campaign tomorrow, but what are the supporters’ expectations of the new look side in the tournament?
Through five games in the Premier League, fans have already begun to lose sight as to what the team’s objectives were this season. Chelsea is essentially looking to build on last season’s performance in all competitions while constructing a more compact core of players. The circumstances surrounding this season—mostly the congested fixture list—are making it incredibly difficult to find a consistent run of form.
The Blues were drawn to a relatively easy Champions League group, squaring off against Sevilla (Spain), Krasnodar (Russia) and Rennes (France). Frank Lampard’s side takes on Sevilla tomorrow, kicking off its 2020/21 Champions League campaign. Therefore, the question needs to be asked: what should the Blues’ expectations be going forward in the competition?
There are many factors that should go into deciding where the fine line is between success and failure in Europe is drawn. First and foremost, Frank Lampard’s side is still learning to play with each other while navigating an unusual season filled with many twists and turns. The Blues made a splash in the summer, but despite what many “supporters” want you to believe, chemistry takes time to build.
Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy have yet to play a single game in which they’re all on the pitch. Add that to the fact Christian Pulisic is just coming back from injury and you’ve got more than half of the first team yet to play together. Each of the aforementioned players will play a massive part in the Champions League run and therefore, it’s important to get them all playing together. Perhaps we’ve also lost sight of the fact this is still a young team, as well. Sure, Silva and Ziyech added much needed experience, but a large majority of the squad has yet to hit their primes. The UCL offers them a stage in which they can thrive, but consistency is key.
Next, Chelsea’s European history gives us a hint as to what we should expect to see this season. Just last year, the Blues came second in their group before exiting in the Round of 16 at the hands of Bayern Munich. This marked the fourth season in which Chelsea found itself failing to advance to the quarterfinals and the second consecutive campaign in which the west Londoners failed to win their group. Therefore, it’s not too much to expect the Blues to finish atop Group E and advance to the quarterfinals.
Chelsea has been given a pass early on in the season for its inconsistent play. However, by the time the Round of 16 rolls around in February, the Blues need to have their foot on the gas. Roman Abramovich wrote a lot of checks this summer and if Lampard doesn’t have his team playing fluid football by the turn of the year, it’s going to put unnecessary pressure on the dressing room. The Blues have a relatively light mid-February—when the Round of 16 matches will be played—with Sheffield United, Newcastle and Southampton on the schedule. This will allow Lampard and his staff to focus solely on advancing in Europe’s premier competition.
Although it may seem as if many are calling for Chelsea to win the competition, that’s simply not the case. A little consistency and glaring signs of improvement are what supporters should expect of this side. It’s been far too long since the Blues, one of Europe’s most elite teams, have seriously contended for a Champions League title. After watching teams like Atalanta, Lyon and RB Leipzig go deep into the competition last season, it’s not unrealistic to expect at least a quarterfinal run from the capital’s only UCL side.
What are your expectations for the Blues in this season’s Champions League campaign? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!