3 things that must happen for Chelsea to consider 2020 a success

The calendar year 2020 has begun and with it comes new expectations for different football clubs in the world. By now, almost every club would have possibly written down on what they must set out to achieve in the new year.

Here, we are going to talk about an English club that has won multiple trophies in the past decade - Chelsea. Right now, the Blues are going through what many call a ' transitional period ' under manager Frank Lampard.

Considering the fact that they were banned from signing players during last year's summer transfer window, the Blues have done well to end 2019 in a top-four position in the Premier League. They currently sit 4th in the league standings with 36 points and are set to face Bayern Munich in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea have suffered a dip in form in December as they have won only 3 Premier League games from the last 7 and with a tough January ahead, Lampard has to make sure his side's form improves. 2020 will be a make or break year for Lampard and in this piece, we are going to take a look at the three things that should happen for the Englishman to consider 2020 a success.

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#3 A top-four finish in the Premier League this season

This is pretty obvious, isn't it? A club of Chelsea's stature belongs in the Champions League year in year out and the minimum Lampard should do is consolidate Chelsea's position in the top four of the Premier League table.

So far, Chelsea have maintained their fourth spot and are currently five points ahead of Manchester United in fifth. The Blues' inconsistency this season has been evident and Lampard wouldn't be highly confident with that gap.

Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur, among others, are coming for that fourth spot and if Chelsea manage to hold on for a place in next season's Champions League, it would go a long way in considering 2020 a success.

#2 Strengthening the defence in the upcoming transfer windows

This season, Chelsea have been poor defensively, to say the least. The experienced campaigners - Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Cesar Azpilicueta have been very inconsistent with their performances, while the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Kurt Zouma have made individual mistakes now and then.

The left-back spot is what concerns Lampard the most as both Emerson and Marcos Alonso have been poor this season and Azpilicueta has played over them in that position. So, strengthening the defence should be the Blues' priority and two names that have been linked with the London club are Ben Chilwell and Kalidou Koulibaly.

Chilwell is a player that will get drafted straight into the playing XI for Chelsea. The England international has been incredible for Leicester City this season and he will fit perfectly into Lampard's system at Stamford Bridge.

As for Koulibaly, signing him should be a no brainer for Chelsea. The Senegalese international is considered as one of the best centre-backs in world football and if he joins the Blues, the 29-year-old could have an instant impact on a side that cant stop conceding goals at the moment. His experience is something Lampard and his side could do well with and it remains to be seen if the Blues opt to spend the big bucks to acquire his services.

#1 Winning a cup competition

To be successful in club football, you need to win trophies and Chelsea, like every other club in the world would be aiming to win at least one in 2020. Now, the Premier League title is an unrealistic target, as is the UEFA Champions League because in both these competitions, there are better teams than Chelsea.

So, what is a realistic target then? The FA Cup is what Lampard should target as his first trophy in his managerial career. To do that, Chelsea need strength in numbers, which they seemingly don't have right now. Hence, adding some fresh faces in January is a must for Frank Lampard.

Nevertheless, Chelsea is good enough to win the FA Cup this season and winning a trophy should be their biggest priority in 2020. Not only will it give the youngsters some confidence, but it would also show that the Blues are heading in the right direction under the Englishman.