Turning Over a New Leaf
A season that was not easy at any level of the club, from the players, coaches, and even the fans, the end is finally here. Ending the season on such a high in 2021 created immense pressure for a year that ended up having some of the most unprecedented twists and turns. Ownership changes due to war across the continent, and the Blues were forced to play the most matches out of any European team this season led to exhaustion and a lack of continuity.
In the end, Chelsea finds itself in third place in the Premier League, sealing a spot in next season's Champions League. From the disappointment of losing three FA Cup finals in a row to the elation of lifting the Club World Cup, Todd Boehly knows he has a lot of work to do to keep this train rolling. A spot in the Champions League group stage will attract some of the more elite players around the world, and with some of the departures, Chelsea is going to need reinforcements from somewhere.
C/O: Reuters
Some of the potential targets have been named, but now that the final match of the season has concluded, it is time to see if the rumors are going to come to fruition. A 2-1 win over a relegated Watford side was the final result as Tuchel was creative in his lineup on the final day of the season. Kenedy had a surprisingly good outing, Ross Barkley scored the late winner out of nowhere, and the Blues got to see Ben Chilwell back on the pitch after his devastating injury early in the season. Nothing that Chelsea would have planned at the beginning of the season ended up playing out. While there was plenty of drama during the season, there is no doubt going to be even more as the summer months unfold.
After a win to cap the season off, manager Thomas Tuchel spoke on the performance, stating, "It's a mood changer I have to say and we are happy to end with a win...We wanted to give some players an opportunity to play that didn't have minutes and I'm happy they showed up and had a deserved win...It was a big step in the right direction in terms of consistency, we've only been in the top three which is good but there is always room for improvement."
Tuchel continued to talk about the future of the club and next season, stating, "There's a lot of work to do to be competitive next season. Everyone else will also try to close the gap to us...In terms of timing, the rebuild is big. We have to be fast and smart. It grows every day. While the two top teams improve, we have a rebuild necessary and it makes things very challenging...The structure suits us really well. It suits Reece James and Ben Chilwell. When we play we are very successful. It's not the plan to change it, but maybe we will be forced to."
The final match of the season was filled with creative runs and through balls that were nothing but perfection. Kai Havertz was a nuisance up top for the Championship-bound Watford alongside Mason Mount who was named the Chelsea Player of the Season following the conclusion for the second straight year. Barkley and Kenedy's performances without a doubt raised a few eyebrows around Stamford Bridge, but their future at the club remains to be seen.
Antonio Rüdiger got a much-deserved standing ovation from the Chelsea faithful as he left the pitch for the final time for the Blues. Chilwell got back on the pitch for the first time since November for the final minute of the contest plus stoppage time. It was a much-needed win for the fans, and the club as a whole with the work of the offseason beginning to sink in.
In all the drama of Championship Sunday, the Blues were not in the middle of any of it. Before even the final whistle blew at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea knew it had plenty of work to do in order to cut the gap between it and the top two teams in English football. The 22-year-old defensive midfielder from Marseille, Boubacar Kamara, was one of the Blues' targets heading into the summer, but Aston Villa struck first, and Chelsea was forced into finding another answer. The news broke just after the sides finished the season via transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. There are rumors that Tuchel's long-time target, Jules Kounde, is set to sign from Seville as soon as the takeover is complete to provide some defensive reinforcements as the absences are starting to become a reality.
The takeover is yet to be complete, but the news around London says it could be done as early as next week. The faster Chelsea gets the Boehly consortium up in running, the quicker the new era can begin. The uncertainty caused Rüdiger to bid farewell, and the Blues do not want to see this happening to any other player of importance. It is going to be odd not seeing the German centerback in the defense next season for Chelsea, but everyone at the club knows that his mentality lives on in each and every one of the players.
C/O: Football 365/Getty Images
The Tuchel era at Chelsea reinvigorated the club, and now it needs another jolt not from Tuchel, but from higher up the food chain. Havertz's goal against Watford marked the 100th goal in the Premiership under Tuchel since his takeover in late January of 2021. His brilliance remains in the favor of the Blues, but in order to bring the club back to the top, Tuchel needs support so he can devise a plan to continue to chop the gap at the top of the table.
By the month of June, Chelsea will finally make the transition that has hampered it as a club for almost half the season. The excitement of the Premier League was on full display during the final weekend, but for the Blues, there wasn't much to play for. The margin of error between four trophies this season, and two were one penalty kick. If Chelsea would have won those two penalty shootouts against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, and FA Cup final, the mood at the end of the season would have been a whole lot different.
Two kicks, that is how small a season could flip from being called a success, to one that can be deemed as average. Super Cup Champions, Club World Cup winners, and runners-up in two domestic cups in 2021-22. Tuchel and the Blues were minutes away from the Champions League semifinal, but the tide once again turned against the club that had been going through the most turmoil off the pitch than any other club in the world. Changes will be made, injuries will be healed, and the new chapter of Chelsea Football Club will begin. This past season may not have finished in the way many fans would have liked, but the future is brighter than many people think.
