Chelsea kickstarted the season with victory against Villarreal in the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday night, which prompted responses from ex-Blues duo Cesc Fabregas and Didier Drogba.
Thomas Tuchel’s side picked up another piece of European silverware by beating La Liga opponents Villarreal 6-5 on penalties.
Gerard Moreno’s goal cancelled out Hakim Ziyech’s opener during the 90 minutes and the game was eventually decided from the spot.
A unique tactic from the Blues worked a treat in the shootout.
Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was substituted onto the pitch in the final stages of extra time to replace number one Edouard Mendy. The Spaniard vindicated the decision by saving a couple of spot kicks.
Some Blues players got a gruelling 120 minutes in their legs before the Premier League opener with Crystal Palace at the weekend, something which isn’t ideal. However, the squad is stacked enough to cope.
Chelsea favourites Fabregas and Drogba both celebrated their former team’s success on social media.
Can Super Cup win be the first of many Chelsea trophies this season?
For Chelsea, they’ll be hoping this isn’t the only trophy they lift this campaign.
It was an excellent reward to play in the Super Cup after last season’s Champions League success, so they have a nice boost going into the 2021/22 campaign.
Tuchel’s side definitely have the qualtiy and potential to go the distance in the cup competitions they enter this year, especially because there is the squad dept to rotate. But, a lot of people are going to judge them in the Premier League.
Chelsea will need to be consistently ruthless if they are to keep pace with the top of the division.
Leave a Reply