In what has certainly been a challenging year for the whole world, football has provided a tremendous distraction at times. With that said, what lessons will Chelsea have learned from 2020, and how can they use them to help the club in the coming year?
Chelsea 2020: Reviewing The Blues’ Year
Olivier Giroud’s Still Got It in 2020
Veteran striker Olivier Giroud must wonder just how many times he has to prove himself to manager Frank Lampard for him to finally get that starting role.
Having not played in months, the Frenchman proved during the restart that he is still a fantastic striker, being absolutely critical to Chelsea’s top-four success. It’s very possible that without him, his side could be playing in the Europa League at the moment.
Giroud started 14 times for Chelsea in 2020, during which time he bagged 11 goals, not to mention his exceptional four-goal showing against Sevilla in the Champions League.
Giroud will end the year as Chelsea’s top scorer, as well as the top scorer for France, and all this despite being frozen out of the team on multiple occasions. Not bad for a 34-year-old.
A Fit Christian Pulisic Is Exceptional for Chelsea, in 2020 and Beyond
Although Giroud should take great credit for dragging his side to a top-four spot, Christian Pulisic is right alongside him. Having shaken off a nasty, three-month injury absence earlier in the year, he came back fit and firing.
The American was incredible during the restart, being the key to winning several games for Lampard. His quick turn of pace, as well as his fearlessness to drive at opponents, was a treat to watch.
Unfortunately, a hamstring injury he suffered in the FA Cup final tragically cut his season short. Pulisic’s injury issues have carried over to this campaign, with him injuring his hamstring twice more having already missed the first few games due to the previous issue.
However, he now looks fully fit and is beginning to re-establish himself as a fixture in the team. Chelsea fans will hope that Pulisic can stay fit well into 2021, as he can be such a deadly weapon for the London side.
Lampard’s Chelsea Project Will Take Time
Even with the big-money signings of Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, Chelsea are languishing in sixth at the moment. Following an impressive 17-match unbeaten run, the Blues have only won one out of their last five.
This Chelsea team has shown this year that, as good as they can be on their day, they’re still inconsistent, and nowhere near the level of Liverpool or Manchester City. However, this is only Lampard’s second season, and while the board demands results, they must be patient as well.
Signing so many new players and fitting them all into the team well doesn’t happen instantly, and they will take some time to adjust. Not to mention, many of the players now considered first-team regulars are still very young, and will naturally go through rough patches.
Although this season has already proven capable of surprises, this team does not look like it will fight for the 2020/21 Premier League title. Regardless, a top-four spot will be the bare minimum expectation, and as players like Werner and Havertz adjust to the team, Chelsea fans need to be patient with their long-term project, just as Liverpool and Manchester City fans were with theirs.
Chelsea Must Address Key Areas in the Transfer Market
Despite all the good work Roman Abramovich has done in securing some top-calibre players, the work isn’t finished. The club still have a few important areas to deal with, not least a long-term centre-back.
Thiago Silva has done an excellent job so far, but he’s 36. Realistically, he only has a maximum of three or four years left at the top. This means that Chelsea’s need to sign a new centre-back hasn’t changed, as Silva is merely a stop-gap. A world-class stop-gap at that, but a stop-gap nonetheless.
Another important area is depth in certain positions. Chelsea only have three wingers at the moment, so signing a fourth in January is critical. They have all proved somewhat injury-prone this season too, so they desperately need additional cover.
Similarly, Edouard Mendy seems to be the only quality goalkeeper at the club, which is certainly an issue. Lampard could say the same for Ben Chilwell at left-back, too.
While Chelsea’s work is certainly not finished, they can be satisfied with the progress they made in 2020, both on and off the pitch. They definitely can look forward to pushing on in 2021, with exciting times seemingly ahead.
Main Photo
