Chelsea FC completes 11o years of football legacy. But will blue be the colour stretched across European club soccer is the question which will be crossing the minds of many. With the Capital One cup already in the bag Chelsea's bid to conquer the elusive treble of the League Cup, Premier League & the UEFA Champions League now looks a distinct possibility.
However, the question that pops up is whether this Chelsea side has what it takes to go all the way, do they have that cutting edge? But Chelsea are no newbees to success having enjoyed a considerable amount of success in the top tier of English soccer. They are also the only British club to have won all the three major UEFA club competitions.
It is a no-brainer that this Chelsea side under Mourinho's leadership is already in a pole position to win the Premier League as they already have a 5 point lead with a game in hand over title holders Manchester City. There is a definite need for some dramatic twist and a few big upsets for Chelsea to get this scenario changed.
The current team under the leadership of the 'special one' has a number of things going for them which may ultimately propel them towards the historic Treble. Players like Nemanja Matic and Kurt Zouma have been extremely valuable additions, not to forget the sublime Fabregas, Hazard and forwards Diego Costa and Loic Remy. Goals have been scored at the average of 2.11 till now in the Barclays Premier League by the Chelsea strikeforce. The aging Didier Drogba too provides the much needed experience. Mourinho's purchases this season have paid rich dividends and have paved the way for to achieve the historic treble, something he would personally love to achieve.
Matic and Zouma have excelled in their respective roles. So Chelsea is among the few team that can boast of a considerable amount of depth in the squad. Even goalkeepers have a constant competition amongst them.
However, with the upcoming fixture against PSG in the Champions League hanging in the balance precariously at 1-1, this match assumes utmost importance as this will define how deep Chelsea will go in this competition. However, their
unbeaten winning streak is sure to add to their confidence and help them push forward. Former Gunner and Arsenal Superstar, Thierry Henry, too believes Chelsea do have what it takes and possess the quality to win the treble. But he too eagerly awaits the game against Paris Saint-Germain as he considers it to be of massive importance.
But, herein comes the biggest plus point of Chelsea. With the least number of losses recorded in the league Chelsea have proved that they have a good defencive back four which rise up to the occasion.
The back four have defended against oppositions with aplomb and protected the goal like a fortress. Meanwhile, 22 year-old Thibaut Courtois too has been rock solid in front of goal. However, to achieve success in the Champions league they must replicate these performances on the European nights. As defence always remains a crucial factor for the away games. Look at their performance closely in the premier league and it will tell you how good they have been. Statistics say that Chelsea have conceded goals at an average of 0.81 which is indeed highly commendable compared to the overall league average of 1.28.
So Chelsea do remain odds on favourites to replicate what a few of their other counterparts have replicated in the past. So now the onus is on Chelsea to once more prove that their Champions League victory in the 2011-12 season was not a fluke and they definitely belong to same class as some of other European greats.
(Citation - soccerstats.com, Premierleague.com)