Chelsea are gearing up for the season’s final furlong in the unusual situation of knowing that their most likely route into the Champions League next term is to win the competition this season.
The Blues have reached the last-eight of European club football’s most prestigious competition but also languish all the way down in 10th in the Premier League. The final two months of the season could well be pivotal in regards to Graham Potter’s reign, but he’ll do well to make up the 11 points that currently separate Chelsea from fourth-placed Tottenham.
The former Brighton boss has faced serious scrutiny during his stint at Stamford Bridge so far, but surely going the distance in the Champions League would excuse a dire showing domestically.
Here are the main headlines centred around Chelsea on Monday, March 27.
Mudryk hooked early at Wembley
Mykhaylo Mudryk was withdrawn prematurely from Ukraine’s 2-0 defeat by England
Chelsea star Mykhaylo Mudryk had the chance to strut his stuff for Ukraine against England on Sunday afternoon while on international duty but in truth failed to make much of an impact.
The Blues winger was withdrawn around the hour mark after an entirely forgettable performance that has done little to silence the doubters.
Mudryk has suffered a slow start to life at Stamford Bridge and he may now fear that same poor form has translated into his international outings as well as at club level.
Aubameyang’s Arsenal regret
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has barely featured for Chelsea recently ( Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s time at Chelsea has been nothing short of a disaster.
Having initially fled to Barcelona after Mikel Arteta deemed his position at Arsenal untenable. Eight months later and the forward was back in London, having put pen to paper on a deal with Chelsea.
Aubameyang arrived at Stamford Bridge in August of last year eager to work with Thomas Tuchel, but enjoyed just one game under the German before he was dismissed from his post.
Under Potter, the Gabon international has been left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad and had to suffer the humiliation of being withdrawn as his former Arsenal team-mates enjoyed a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in November.
Tuchel plots Chelsea raid
Thomas Tuchel is aiming to bring Graham Potter’s assistant coach to Bayern Munich ( Image: Marcel Engelbrecht/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
Thomas Tuchel is aiming to inflict more misery on Potter by bringing stealing his Chelsea assistant boss Anthony Barry and bringing him to Bayern Munich.
The ex-Blues manager has since been appointed as Bayern Munich’s head coach after Julian Nagelsmann was dismissed from his post.
Tuchel revealed his plans to hire Barry, who has worked for the Blues since the summer of 2020, at his unveiling on Saturday. The new Bayern manager told reporters, “We’re hoping to add Anthony Barry, who is currently at Chelsea.”
Tuchel has already confirmed two members of his backroom staff. He said, “My coaching staff wasn’t prepared either, so a big thank you to their families for their flexibility. Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, who have been working with me for over 10 years, will be there.”
Source: mirror.co.uk
