Chelsea are coming towards the end of their season, with both their remaining games about as big as they come.
On Friday night they took on Man U and managed to squeak a tight win, and a week later will they close out their season against Nottingham Forest. The Blues know they need 3 points from that game to get into the Champions League, meaning it’s going to be a thrilling contest all round.
After that, they head to Wroclaw for the Conference League final. It may not be the biggest trophy we’ve ever won (in fact, it might be the smallest), but it’s the only one we can win this season.
But actually, while it may not technically be “this” season, there is another cup up for grabs before the summer break – the Club World Cup.
A glance at football betting sites show we’re at best 4th favourites at 10/1, behind Man City, Real Madrid (5/1) and Bayern Munich (7/1). That seems fair enough, given our form since Christmas. But it could be a good tournament to bet on, as nobody is really sure how it will go.
Some teams will be coming off the back of a gruelling season, others have had an easier ride. Teams like Chelsea and Man City will want to make up for disappointing seasons, while Bayern might want to rest up. Real Madrid will have a new manager, and nobody knows how seriously any of the teams we’re up against will take it.
Many teams from other continents will already be mid-season, which could help or hinder them.
One thing is for sure – whether or not we qualify for next season’s Champions League, we will be taking this very seriously. After a rather humiliating season in the Conference League playing minnows, it will be nice to bask in the reflected prestige of playing teams like Madrid and Bayern.
Then there’s the financial aspect – there is apparently $125m on the line for the winner, and we just can’t afford to turn up our nose at that at the moment. Nobody can – but Chelsea are especially motivated if they miss out on the Champions League again next season.
The fact signings made in the mini-window between the end of this season and the CWC starting also adds an interesting twist – there will be new players on display for most of the teams involved.
All we can say is that we’re a lot more excited about this tournament now than we were a few months ago.
