This surely was one of the most unique seasons in football. Matches were played without fans, the season started late without a proper pre-season, and the schedule was jam-packed to be ready for a delayed EURO 2020. All this produced some chaos and some shocking results. But how did Chelsea fare? Let’s take a look at their performances in each of the competitions they played in.
Premier League
Outcome: Fourth
Rating: 6/10
After defensive horror-shows against West Brom and Southampton, Frank Lampard’s Chelsea settled in and won a few matches on the bounce. Chelsea found themselves competing in a title race with Liverpool and Tottenham. After a 3-1 home win against Leeds in early December, they even went top for one day.
The next week, a 1-0 loss to Everton sparked a run of two wins in nine games which included disappointing defeats to Arsenal, Man City and Leicester. The poor run of form left Chelsea in ninth, and cost Lampard his job. His replacement was the former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel came in and had an immediate effect as he sorted a previously porous defense. This helped Chelsea to go unbeaten in the next 10 games, conceding just two goals in the process and picking up impressive wins over Liverpool, Spurs and Everton. A 5-2 defeat to West Brom followed, however it was just a blip as they continued their momentum and won crucial games against West Ham and Leicester. The latter ultimately sealed a fourth place for Chelsea, despite losing 2-1 to Aston Villa on the final day.
EFL Cup
Outcome: Fourth round
Rating: 3/10
Yes they played in this competition. After a comfortable 6-0 win over Barnsley, in which Kai Havertz scored a hattrick, Chelsea bowed out at the home of fierce rivals Tottenham. Timo Werner opened the scoring on that occasion, but a late equalizer from Erik Lamela sent the match to penalties. Chelsea’s Golden boy Mason Mount missed his penalty, as Blues were sent packing.
FA Cup
Outcome: Finals
Rating: 7/10
Lampard navigated Chelsea through comfortable home ties against Morecambe and Luton Town. Tuchel’s first match in the competition was away at Barnsley. Unlike the EFL Cup meeting, this was a very tight affair, the Blues edging it 1-0. In the quarter-finals, Sheffield United were seen off, setting up a mouthwatering semi-final against then quadruple-chasing Man City.
Chelsea ended those hopes with a modest 1-0 score. City were effectively neutralized as Chelsea reached their fourth FA Cup final in five years. They were looking to go one better than last season, but fell once again, this time at the hands of Leicester City. At the time this final was played, Chelsea were locked in a tight top-four battle and prioritized that over the FA Cup.
Champion’s League
Outcome: Winners
Rating: 10/10
When the group-stage draw came out, fans should have been confident of coming through the group. Lampard’s Chelsea did so in style, winning four and drawing two, with the 4-0 rout of Sevilla the highlight. Their reward was a tough tie against Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
By the time the tie was played, Tuchel had replaced Lampard in the hotseat. Chelsea made the La Liga champions look distinctly average with a 3-0 aggregate win. Olivier Giroud’s spectacular overhead the pick of the goals as the Blues progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2014.
Chelsea faced little trouble in seeing off Porto, progressing 2-1 on aggregate despite the second leg defeat. In the semi-finals, they were drawn against 13-time winners Real Madrid. Not many gave Chelsea a chance, but after the two legs, the 3-1 aggregate score flattered Los Blancos. And so, Chelsea reached their first final since their memorable journey of 2012.
In the finals, Chelsea played Man City in an all-English final. Like the semis, not many gave them a chance against a treble-chasing City. But Chelsea had won the previous two encounters, a 1-0 win in the FA Cup semi-finals and 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium in the league. They made it three out of three in the finals with a 1-0 victory, thanks to Kai Havertz’s goal. Chelsea secured their second Champion’s League, and like the first, not many fancied them in the semi-final or the final.
Final Verdict:
Despite domestic struggles, Chelsea did manage a top-four finish and a cup final. They would have wanted to finish higher, but given their predicament in January, fourth is reasonable. In Europe, they over-achieved. Winning the Champion’s League was a massive massive accomplishment. Next season, they will look to build upon the fourth-placed finish and hopefully mount a sustainable title charge, as well as add to their European crown.
Overall Rating: 7/10