It has been a crazy year for Chelsea and the world. There is a global pandemic that has altered our lives drastically and Chelsea Football Club for the first time since 2012 will be playing for the Champions League trophy.
To get to this point, has been a goal for the club for a while and there is a reason they spent big money on new signings but if you had told me in January when Chelsea was 9th in the Premier League after sacking Frank Lampard they would be in the Champions League Final, I would have not believed you but here we are.
Thomas Tuchel has done an incredible job since coming in. The defense with the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Thiago Silva has been so much better. They have been marking and taking the ball away better and preventing the opposition from scoring or getting good chances.
N’Golo Kante is back to being his best and Kai Havertz has turned things around the last few months. Christian Pulisic has found his form and Mason Mount has been consistently been at his best while Timo Werner has shown great offensive contributions despite his lack of finish.
Chelsea was the better team throughout the two legs against Real Madrid and it could have been a blowout if they had finished at least half their chances against them. They were really good on the counter, Edouard Mendy made brilliant saves, and outclasses the Real midfield.
It’s going to be an all-English final this year with the blues from London facing Manchester City. Chelsea has already lost to City in the league and beat them in the FA Cup semi-final. They will also play them at the Etihad Stadium for a league game on May 8th.
It’s no secret that Man City is the best side on paper in England and one of the best sides in Europe. They already won the Carabao Cup and are on the verge of winning the Premier League. City has a great squad that includes the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, the departing Sergio Aguero, and the wonderkid Phil Foden. Not to mention they are coached by Pep Guardiola who has won the trophy twice before.
City is a team that you do not want to give the ball away to because they make teams pay with their attack and finishing. Goalkeeping, defense, and midfield are also solid. In short, City is a better team than Chelsea on paper.
The bookies also favor City.
UEFA Champions League Final - at Ataturk Olympic Stadium; Istanbul, Turkey
— Rex Beyers (@Rex_Beyers) May 5, 2021
Saturday, May 29 - Noon PDT@SuperBookNV
Manchester City -130
Chelsea +325
DRAW +300
Total 2.5 UN -135/+115
Man City -1/2 -130/+110
To Lift Cup:
Man City -240
Chelsea +200
However, football isn’t played on paper and anything can happen. Remember Chelsea have only lost once since Tuchel took over and that was to West Brom.
The final will be a big test and will be tough for Chelsea but it is not a daunting task. Tuchel’s Chelsea has proved they can battle with anyone and have found ways to surprise opponents. After all, when he first arrived at Cobham, he vowed to make Chelsea “a team no one wants to play against.”
The Seattle Seahawks won their first Super Bowl in 2014 and quarterback Russell Wilson and the team had this mentality: Why not us? That should be the mentality for the Chelsea players and fans. Why not us?
It’s going to be a tough test for Chelsea to beat Manchester City in the final but it’s doable. After all, the taller the mountain the sweeter the victory.