Well, Chelsea have shown in recent years that they aren’t the safest bets to defend the Premier League title. Currently, Antonio Conte’s men sit out of the top four and are knocked out of the Champions League too. They are five points behind Tottenham Hotspur, who are in the fourth position. They are still present in the FA Cup, as the Blues are well poised to proceed to the finals as they are supposed to face Southampton in the semi-finals. However, if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League, it will be a huge blow to their ambitions.
Furthermore, it would become extremely difficult to keep hold of their star players and manager Antonio Conte’s future would be in doubt too. Hence, to ensure a top-four finish, Chelsea’s biggest challenge comes up next week when Conte’s men would face Tottenham. It would be a six-pointer match, as a loss would virtually crash Chelsea’s hope for a Champions League berth. Here we look at three players who would remain integral to Chelsea’s fortunes this season:
- Cesar Azpilicueta:
Ever since David Luiz has been sidelined due to his bust-up with the manager and then his persistent knee troubles, Azpilicueta has been the leader in the defence. His calm-headedness, positioning, and the ability to release the forwards with some incisive passes from deep has been beneficial for the team.
However, Chelsea’s often-reliable backline has been cut open quite harshly on some occasions due to the inexperience of Andreas Christensen or owing to the erratic nature of Antonio Rudiger. Against Tottenham and then in the FA Cup, the Blues would have to ensure that they do not concede goals as both these opponents are quite good at reaping benefits of any provided mistake. Azpi will have to arrange the backline well whilst also providing the attackers with some creative impetus.
- Willian:
The Brazilian winger has been in excellent form off late after being underused earlier in the season. Actually, under the management of Antonio Conte Willian has been sidelined for many games. Still, Willian has stepped up to perform whenever required. His pace on the counter, coupled with his supreme finishing skills and set-piece prowess has helped the team on numerous occasions.
Against Barcelona in the first leg, the Brazilian was particularly impressive as he was a constant threat to the Catalan defence. Willian scored the opening goal in the match at Old Trafford to as he broke well on the counter and combined with Eden Hazard to score a thumping goal. He has been the best player for Chelsea in the past few months and he will have to continue this rich vein of form for the next few weeks.
- Eden Hazard:
Hazard hasn’t had the best of seasons, though he has often been the most influential player on the pitch. Manager Antonio Conte has often preferred playing the Belgian as the false 9, though the player has been visibly irritated at the fact too. In the recent game against Manchester City, Hazard hardly had a creative moment and was often isolated up front.
He plays best when he is allowed to play on the left wing. This allows Hazard to cut into the centre and create chances for his teammates whilst also taking shots himself. While his stay at Stamford Bridge has been under the scanner for quite a long time now, it has added to the issues for the club. Upcoming matches would decide the club’s fortunes, as well the player’s future at the club!