Chelsea have secured three important points in the top-four race.
Chelsea beat relegated Norwich City 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, with Olivier Giroud scoring the winning goal at the stroke of halftime. This win takes them four points clear of Leicester City and Manchester United, who play later in the week.
Christian Pulisic continued his red-hot form, assisting Giroud for the winner with an inch-perfect cross, while Mateo Kovacic also impressed in his return to the team after an Achilles injury kept him out for a few games.
Despite dominating throughout the game, limiting Norwich to two shots, with none on target, manager Frank Lampard‘s side missed chances to seal the game, leading to a nervy last ten minutes.
Here are some important thoughts on the game.
1. Kovacic is a game-changer
The inclusion of the Croatian in the starting lineup today was an important reason for Chelsea’s continued possession and chance creation.
Kovacic runs with the ball so elegantly, always under control, and always seems to find a pass, many times between the lines to Pulisic or Giroud. His creativity, as well as his vision, were very beneficial on the night against a deep block of Norwich defenders.
Lampard will need Kovacic at his best if he wants to close out the season positively and earn a Champions League place, and the midfielder looks to be fit and firing again.
With N’Golo Kante still out, but also returning soon, Chelsea’s first-choice lineup is on the horizon once again, and it couldn’t come at a better time, with critical games against United, Liverpool and Wolves coming up.