Chelsea must treat every match like a final

Chelsea need to treat every match from now until May like a final. Perhaps there is more at stake then we originally suspected.

Chelsea can still salvage their season. A few months ago, no football fan would have considered this concept as possible. What they didn’t take into count is the incredible resurgence the Blues would have under Guus Hiddink.

More from Playing for 90

Whether or not their recent success can be attributed to the Dutch manager is up for debate. However, what is clear is that whatever factors are at play, they’re working. The Blues have lost just once under Hiddink, and have the opportunity to reverse the result at home.

Due to their efforts of late, combined with the current sloppy form of the top teams in the Premier League, Chelsea are now very much in the thick of it. They find themselves in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, still alive in the Champions League, and in the top half of the Premier League table.

While the first two were to be expected, the latter was never something Blues fans could be sure would happen this season. What’s even more encouraging, is that no team seems to want to run away with points this season.

The top 4 are no longer head and shoulders above competition, with Manchester United and West Ham looking to spoil Champions League Qualification parties.

Below the top 6 are Stoke City, Liverpool, Southampton, and Chelsea and there are only three points separating them. A Chelsea win, coupled with Southampton and Liverpool losses would bring the Blues into seventh place.

More from Chelsea FC

All of a sudden with then 9 games to go, the West Londoners have an outside chance to crack the top four, and can be encouraged by the poor form of all four top teams.

By no means am I stating Chelsea should expect a top four finish, or that it’s likely. I do feel that there will be a lot of changes in the table between now and the end of the season. All I’m saying is that if Chelsea were to find themselves on the receiving end of some luck and couple that with continuing their winning streak, the Blues may find themselves much higher than we expected just a few months ago.

With this in mind, it’s important to treat every match like a final from now until the end of the season. The Champions League requires no explanation for this attitude, as it’s currently Chelsea’s best route back into the competition next season.

Chelsea are also 3 wins away from an FA Cup victory, earning them a Europa League place. It would be a waste to not avidly pursue this competition’s trophy.

In the Premier League, the signs of a decent finish appear encouraging, and Chelsea must do everything they can on their end to prepare for a successful finish.

That’s the main reason Diego Costa will start tomorrow. It’d make sense to rest him for PSG on Wednesday, but Chelsea need his goalscoring threat to continue their Premier League run.

Starting the Spanish striker tomorrow depicts Hiddink’s knowledge that their will be a lot of shaking up between now and May within England. It would be foolish to come out on the wrong side of these changes.

Therefore, with three competitions hanging in the balance, Chelsea must be sure to treat every match from now until May like a final. They surely didn’t do that in the first half of the season and the pressure is now on for them to salvage the second half.

A win on Saturday against Stoke City would be a good way to continue their momentum. If this season has taught us anything, it’s the notion that anything is possible.

Home/Chelsea FC