Chelsea have officially qualified for the Champions League next season, following a 0-3 victory over Everton in the Premier League at Goodwin Park. The win guarantees them a top four finish, boosting them back into the world of European football after a season of absence from all but the domestic scene.
The match against Everton on Sunday 10th April secured Chelsea a place of in the UEFA Champions League. With it, they lifted themselves to a total of 84 points with four games remaining, four points clear of close second-runners Tottenham, and 16 points clear of fifth place Manchester United.
Chelsea had to play a patient game, but showed all of the perseverance of a leading team. A truly gut-wrenching near miss from Everton’s Calvert-LeWin in the first half got the pulse racing, but relief came in the 66th minute when Pedro shot in a stunning left-footed goal from 25 yards, bringing Chelsea 1-0 ahead.
Gary Cahill all but finished the job off with a close range goal, and a tap in from Willian late-on left Everton wondering what happened. Yet Chelsea also played an excellent defensive game, and Cesar Azpilicueta in particular stood out for his positioning and ability to shut down any offensives. Final score: 0-3 to Chelsea.
The qualification is great news for the club. Last year’s Chelsea finished 10th in league, and failed to qualify for Europe. This season the story is different. The Champions League is also a financial bonus for Chelsea. Qualification alone is worth an estimated $12.7 million for the club, with around $56 million if they win, not including commercial and marketing values.
It will be interested to see how Chelsea hold up in the Champions League, against Europe’s most prolific clubs like Real Madrid and Juventus, this year’s joint favorites to win.
Aside from last year’s absence from European football, Chelsea have often failed to make it beyond the round of 16, losing out to Paris Saint Germain on aggregate in both the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. Chelsea have, however, lifted the UEFA cup on two occasions: once in 2008 when they beat Manchester United 5-6 on aggregate, and most recently when they managed a win over Bayern Munich on penalties in the finals of 2012.
Next season’s Chelsea will be in a good position to storm Europe, given their epic performance domestically this year. They are all warmed up and ready to go!
Chelsea’s win over Everton on Sunday was also a great triumph for their battle for first place in the Premier League. Antonio Conte’s team are currently strong favorites to win the title, but are contending with an unrelenting effort from Tottenham. The win puts Chelsea within sight of the title, and they can now afford to win three of their last four games and guarantee a first place finish.
The Everton derby was also arguably the toughest game of the Premier League season that Chelsea had left to play, at least on paper. Their last games are against lower-table teams, starting with a home match against Middlesborough. If there was any game that Chelsea needed to overcome, it was the Everton game that they have succeeded in overcoming.
With an FA Cup final to play against Arsenal at the end of May, it’s looking like a tidy finish for Chelsea in all respects. Let’s see if they can carry the goods over to the Champions League next season.
