Ahead of a season-defining Europa League final, Matt Lee takes a look at three players who are likely to be at the crux of Chelsea’s performance.
It’s fair to say it has not been plain sailing for Chelsea this season. The Blues started the season brightly with five consecutive wins in the Premier League; however, their form took a massive dip towards the end of January.
After a positive start to the season, Maurizio Sarri’s side were comfortably beaten by Bournemouth 4-0. The Blues responded by thumping Huddersfield Town 5-0, but suffered an equally resounding 6-0 defeat at the hands of eventual champions Manchester City.
Sarri even had his leadership ability questioned when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga defied instructions to come off as a substitute in the League Cup defeat to Manchester City.
The Blues have, however, enjoyed success in the Europa League. Despite producing unconvincing performances, the London side have navigated past a number of tricky sides to reach a European final.
But who will the key men be as Chelsea look to win a European title for the first time since 2012? Move on to the next page to find out.