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Following their harrowing 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United on Saturday, Chelsea got back to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard was understandably furious with his wards' performance at Bramall Lane and he expectedly made some changes to his lineup, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud drafted from the start. It was the latter who broke the deadlock with the last kick of the first half, scoring with an excellent header off a cross by Christian Pulisic.
The second half saw Chelsea crank up the pressure in a bid to make the result secure but for all their efforts, they failed to grab a second goal. Dogged defending, as well as some fine saves by Tim Krul, kept the hosts at bay, while Pulisic was also denied by the post.
With the victory, the Blues climb up to 63 points with just two rounds of matches left and here, we shall be highlighting five talking points from the fixture.
#5 Olivier Giroud continues fine run of form
Earlier during the winter transfer window, there was a high chance that Olivier Giroud would have left Chelsea, as a lack of playing time coupled with the fact that his contract was running out in the summer put him in a precarious position.
However, a serious injury sustained by Tammy Abraham put him back in the spotlight and he took his chances well, leading the charge as Chelsea mounted their top four charge.
The French international scored in each of his last two starts against Watford and Crystal Palace, and he continued his run of form with the opener against Norwich City.
It means he has scored in three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since 2017 and having extended his contract during the lockdown, the French international has been proving his usefulness to the Chelsea cause.
#4 Poor Norwich fail to make a mark
It seems like a long time ago but Norwich started the campaign in impressive fashion, pushing Liverpool all the way on the opening day of the season, while they also scored a memorable victory over Manchester City.
Things have, however, unravelled since then and the Canaries became the first side to be relegated this season. This defeat to Chelsea means they have lost their last eight matches in the league, the first time this has happened, while their total of 25 defeats in the current campaign is the most they have ever suffered in a single season.
Also check out: the Champions League Winners by season
#3 Christian Pulisic reveling in role as Chelsea's go-to man
Following his mega move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea last summer, big things were expected of Christian Pulisic. But Frank Lampard slowly eased him into his side, giving him time to adapt to the rigours and demands of the Premier League.
A long-term injury sustained in January threatened to disrupt his campaign but the 21-year-old took advantage of the lockdown to get back to full fitness and has become one of Chelsea's most important attacking players since project restart.
With his assist for Giroud's opener, the American international became involved in 11 goals this season (eight goals and three assists), which is the most managed by a United States player since Clint Dempsey hit that figure in the 2011-2012 season.
#2 Josip Drmic fails to inspire Norwich attack
For a side that scored goals for fun in the Championship last season and the early stages of their return to the Premier League, the Norwich attack has been harrowingly blunt over the last few months.
The Canaries scored just one goal in their first seven Premier League matches post-lockdown, which prompted manager Daniel Farke to start Josip Drmic in place of Teemu Pukki and Adam Idah.
It was, however, a futile effort, as the Swiss international was perpetually on the peripheries of the game, leaving Kepa with nothing to do which would have been disappointing considering how porous the Chelsea defence is.
#1 Chelsea get job done in quest for top four
Having seemingly lost the initiative following their 3-0 loss to Sheffield United, Chelsea were handed a lifeline when first Leicester City and then Manchester United both failed to get the necessary result to usurp the Blues.
This means that the Londoners still have their fate in their hands with just two rounds of matches left and while they were far from convincing in a game of few chances against Norwich, they ultimately did enough to temporarily go four points clear of their challengers.
