4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season | OneFootball

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Alex Mott·18 August 2019

4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season

Article image:4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season

Not since 1965 had Chelsea gone to Manchester United and conceded four goals.

Last weekend though, they did exactly that.


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Frank Lampard’s first game as a Premier League manager ended in embarrassment with plenty of knee-jerkers declaring this a sign of things to come.

But fear not Blues fans, here’s four reasons why you should be looking forward to this season.


Pulled up by Pulisic

Article image:4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season

There’s arguably only three players in world football who could seriously replace Eden Hazard in this Chelsea attack.

Christian Pulisic is no Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappé but if his Super Cup performance is anything to go by, the Blues have a real gem on their hands.

The American forward was always looking for the ball in Istanbul and terrorised Trent Alexander-Arnold at times.

His link-up play with Olivier Giroud looked like it had been years in the making and some neat inter-play with Mason Mount showed a tantalisingly glimpse of things to come.

This could be the start of something special.


Mount-ing a challenge

Article image:4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season

José Mourinho was wrong about Mason Mount.

The Portuguese coach is well-known for his distrust of younger players and showed as much last weekend, name-checking the 20-year-old as he dismissed the Blues and their lack of “big players”.

Mount certainly made some mistakes at Old Trafford but he never shied away from taking responsibility on the ball and looked lively in Istanbul.

Lampard defended the midfielder in the press but if Mount’s performances continue on this upward curve, there will be no defending required.


Ace in the pack

Article image:4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season

It was 22.20 local time that proved it.

Chelsea had been relatively impressive in the first half at Old Trafford but in the second half, they struggled to impose themselves in midfield and let Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay run the game.

On Wednesday, though, that was never going to happen.

Twenty minutes in, N’Golo Kanté nicked the ball off Jordan Henderson, jinked past Fabinho and sprayed the ball out to Pedro to start a Chelsea attack.

That moment crystallised what fans at Stamford Bridge have known for some time now: Kanté is the best midfielder in the Premier League.

Injury has curtailed his pre-season but get the World Cup winner up to speed and the Blues can dream.


Super Frank

Article image:4️⃣ reasons why Chelsea fans should look forward to this season

It’s a weird paradox of this season that Chelsea could conceivably finish outside the Champions League places this season and still be happier than they were in May.

Why? Because at the helm is the club’s top goalscorer and, arguably, their  greatest ever player.

The Stamford Bridge faithful never fully warmed to Maurizio Sarri, despite claiming a European trophy, finishing fourth and getting to a domestic cup final.

One thing he wasn’t afforded in west London was time. That though, is what Frank Lampard should get.

He left Derby under the proviso that he would get at least two seasons in charge, meaning this coming campaign can essentially be a free hit for the Blues.

That can only be a good thing for this young coach and his young team.