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#3 Olivier Giroud still has a lot to offer in England
From having one foot out of the door in January due to lack of playing time to having signed a deal through to the summer of 2021, Olivier Giroud’s Chelsea career has taken a full 180 since the new year. The French striker may not be the quickest player on the field, but he more than makes up for it with his physicality and positional awareness, which is why he has scored seven goals in his last nine starts.
Giroud’s latest strike against Liverpool on the brink of half time gave his side a glimmer of hope going into the break and showed why he has taken over from Tammy Abraham as Frank Lampard’s number one strike option. With Timo Werner set to join the strike force next season, Giroud will not just be a mentor for the young German but will also provide serious competition for a starting berth if he maintains this rich vein of form.
#2 Defence is still a big problem area for Chelsea & Lampard
All the noise this season has been about Chelsea’s dangerous attackers, from the ones already at the club to those that are set to join in the summer. The arrival of Christian Pulisic and the emergence of Tammy Abraham have been hugely encouraging, while the arrivals of Timo Werner and Hachim Ziyech are sure to make Chelsea a more potent attacking force than they currently are.
While Lampard’s side has enjoyed a great deal of success in front of goal, it’s a completely different story at the other end of the pitch. Chelsea’s defensive unit has been far too lax all season, with only Norwich and Aston Villa having conceded more from corners.
The Blues are extremely susceptible to being caught on the counter and have the worst defensive record of the top 10 in the Premier League this season. While Ziyech and Werner are fantastic acquisitions, defensive reinforcements must surely be high on the priority list for Lampard ahead of next season.
#1 The Race for top 4 will go down to the wire
With Liverpool having sewn up the title with seven games to go and Manchester City a distant second but still comfortably ahead of the chasing pack, the competition for the remaining two Champions League spots has been slightly bizarre. Chelsea, Leicester City, and Manchester United are vying for the two coveted spots, but neither of the three seem to take advantage of the others’ slip-ups.
Leicester kicked off the penultimate round of fixtures with a 3-0 defeat against Spurs, which left the door open for United and Chelsea to capitalise. However, with the Red Devils only managing a draw against West Ham and Chelsea losing to Liverpool, the race for the top 4 will go down to the final day.
Chelsea need a point at home against Wolves to secure qualification for the Champions League, while United and Leicester will do battle at the King Power Stadium on the final day for the other Champions League berth.
