Chelsea four lessons learnt at Sevilla: Giroud steals the show
By Nate Hofmann
Chelsea went into Sevilla with a rotated squad in hopes of getting a result, but the Blues blew everyone’s socks off during a big win in Spain.
Chelsea traveled to Spain having already clinched a spot in the Champions League Round of 16. This meant Frank Lampard was able to rotate his side. Regardless, Blues fans maintained it was important to win the group and that message surely got through to the squad. Despite fielding a near back-up side, Lampard’s men destroyed Sevilla from the off. Olivier Giroud was magnificent and the defense was rock solid. Chelsea walks away the winner of Group E, but here are four of the lessons we learnt in the match:
1. Olivier Giroud is Chelsea’s best striker
This is more of a reminder than a lesson. Think back to the heady days of Project Restart. Giroud was miles ahead of Tammy Abraham in the battle for the striker role, putting together a run of excellent form that propelled Chelsea to a top four finish and an FA Cup final. It seemed like each match only served to widen the gap between the two.
One would have expected that hierarchy to carry over into the new season. Instead, the arrival of Timo Werner blew up the status quo, robbing Giroud of his well-earned starting role. Werner’s versatility as either a wide forward or central striker gave Lampard some difficult choices to make, electing initially to slot Werner in as the focal point. At the moment, he seems entrenched as a left forward, leaving the center spot open. Abraham has been the go-to for that role in recent weeks, performing admirably, albeit with minimal returns.
On Wednesday, however, Giroud showed what a more confident and experienced center forward can do. He registered the exceptionally rare perfect haul: left foot, right foot, head and penalty. Bear in mind, this wasn’t against some continental minnow from parts unknown. Even with a fair bit of rotation, Sevilla is no joke. Julen Lopetegui has built a solid team that’s hard to beat and it was riding a five-match winning streak up until it ran into a handsome French buzz saw.
Of course, it’s easy to overreact to a single performance, especially one where a player scores four goals. But it’s impossible to watch Giroud and not notice all the things he does better than Abraham at the moment. The goals are one thing, but his ability to stand tall and manipulate the defense in a match that was increasingly violent is something that can only be gained through years of experience. Abraham could very well get there, but there’s no question that Giroud simply brings more to the table at the moment.
The scary thing in all of this is the potential for him to pack up his bags and head elsewhere in just a month’s time. After Wednesday’s performance, however, Lampard should be on his knees pleading for Giroud to stick around through the rest of the season. He’s that good, and Chelsea is at its best when he’s leading the line.