Chelsea FC have never been runaway favorites for the English Premier League, but in Europe they are seemingly always England’s best bet.
Chelsea, while one of England’s better clubs, have never been runaway favorites for the domestic league. That would, of course, be a testament to the strength and relative depth of its Barclays Premier League opponents in comparison with other leagues that start their seasons off with champions-elect.
And yet, while they tussle and tumble with the best in the Premier League, Chelsea have consistently set the pace for English clubs seeking to make a dent in the Champions League, on the European stage. As the Manchester sides come up short, as Arsenal fall by the wayside, and Liverpool plot their return from the wilderness, the West Londoners routinely hold their own against much more celebrated European opponents.
Part of this strength derives from the format of the Champions League that prizes short spells of intense concentration and commitment over caffeine-demanding season-long sagas. With Chelsea’s unique mix of young talent and mature icons at its disposal, the Blues coast when they combine the strengths of both these disparate camps into an effective fighting unit.
But the law of averages inevitably implies that Chelsea is also more prone to cases where its young guns lose their collective heads and the older ones spend more time on the stretcher than off of it. A domestic season that stretches on for months, guarantess the Blues will not escape this particularly nasty headache.
Most years the Blues go into a slump prior to Christmas, and only recover in late Janaury. Depending on how their Premier League rivals have done, Chelsea are either playing catch up or desperately trying to hold on to what’s left of their precious lead.
The Champions League, with its fortuitous scheduling towards the end of the first quarter suits Chelsea’s natural frequency to a T. The West Londoners have shaken off their winter worries, and are either gunning for glory in the league or have only the Champions League to play for. Depending on the case, they are either settling into their groove or increasingly desperate and backed into a corner.
Chelsea are perfect at both scenarios: unlike Arsenal, whose ability to throw a spanner in their own works, is unmatched in modern football, and other sides like the current Manchester United outfit that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with instability at the helm.
This season, Manchester United’s meek surrender of the domestic title has meant an uncharacteristically open field. While Chelsea are certain to feel they have a shot at the Premier League title, they also know the absence of a clear front runner means they could potentially regain lost ground on the domestic front, even with a bad performance or two along the way.
The Champions League, with its knock-out format, is more unforgiving. At the back of their minds, Chelsea’s stars know time isn’t on their side. The Oscars and the Hazards would love to stake a claim to Europe’s top prize, and it would certainly be a comparatively easier task for them with the likes of Lampard, Terry and Cech around.
The stalwarts will know that what separates the good teams from the great ones, isn’t just a solitary Champions League triumph. It’s winning a couple. With their time running out on achieving that elusive, if not mandatory, honor – and Jose Mourinho showing little mercy to the likes of Ashley Cole, the veterans know they’ll need to co-opt the youth while they’re still considered worthy enough to feature in the pack.
Frank Lampard and Petr Cech may have already gotten a taste of this particular piece of silverware, but John Terry – whose absence from the Champions League final still rankles him – will surely like another shot at the title, if only to put his demons to rest.
Chelsea are also a team that was forged in the fires of Champions League disappointment: hardly a season goes by without a controversial incident standing in the way of the Blues progressing in the later rounds of Europe’s finest. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a conspiracy hatched by UEFA’s nefarious minds or just a random occurrence that – as luck would have it – befell Chelsea.
Over the years it’s been a ghost goal, or a chatty referee during the break. Then there was Ovrebo, a bunch of fired managers, aAi??clump of grass and Drogba seeing red. Chelsea’s biggest strength has been to turn these instances into rallying cries forAi??the followingAi??season’s Champions League; a reminder of real (or perceived) slights and a source of renewed focus and deadly determination.
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