Frank Lampard, Chelsea (Photo by ADAM DAVY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea have secured three important points in the top-four race.
Chelsea beat relegated Norwich City 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, with Olivier Giroud scoring the winning goal at the stroke of halftime. This win takes them four points clear of Leicester City and Manchester United, who play later in the week.
Christian Pulisic continued his red-hot form, assisting Giroud for the winner with an inch-perfect cross, while Mateo Kovacic also impressed in his return to the team after an Achilles injury kept him out for a few games.
Despite dominating throughout the game, limiting Norwich to two shots, with none on target, manager Frank Lampard‘s side missed chances to seal the game, leading to a nervy last ten minutes.
Here are some important thoughts on the game.
1. Kovacic is a game-changer
The inclusion of the Croatian in the starting lineup today was an important reason for Chelsea’s continued possession and chance creation.
Kovacic runs with the ball so elegantly, always under control, and always seems to find a pass, many times between the lines to Pulisic or Giroud. His creativity, as well as his vision, were very beneficial on the night against a deep block of Norwich defenders.
Lampard will need Kovacic at his best if he wants to close out the season positively and earn a Champions League place, and the midfielder looks to be fit and firing again.
With N’Golo Kante still out, but also returning soon, Chelsea’s first-choice lineup is on the horizon once again, and it couldn’t come at a better time, with critical games against United, Liverpool and Wolves coming up.
Olivier Giroud</a> scoring the winning goal at the stroke of halftime. This win takes them four points clear of Leicester City and Manchester United, who play later in the week.</p>
<p><a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/1bf33a9a/Christian-Pulisic">Christian Pulisic</a> continued his red-hot form, assisting Giroud for the winner with an inch-perfect cross, while <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/79c0821a/Mateo-Kovacic">Mateo Kovacic</a> also impressed in his return to the team after an Achilles injury kept him out for a few games.</p>
<p>Despite dominating throughout the game, limiting Norwich to two shots, with none on target, manager <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/268df6b1/Frank-Lampard">Frank Lampard</a>‘s side missed chances to seal the game, leading to a nervy last ten minutes.</p>
<p>Here are some important thoughts on the game.</p>
<h3>1. Kovacic is a game-changer</h3>
<p>The inclusion of the Croatian in the starting lineup today was an important reason for Chelsea’s continued possession and chance creation.</p>
<p>Kovacic runs with the ball so elegantly, always under control, and always seems to find a pass, many times between the lines to Pulisic or Giroud. His creativity, as well as his vision, were very beneficial on the night against a deep block of Norwich defenders.</p>
<p>Lampard will need Kovacic at his best if he wants to close out the season positively and earn a Champions League place, and the midfielder looks to be fit and firing again.</p>
<p>With <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/b9fbae28/NGolo-Kante">N’Golo Kante</a> still out, but also returning soon, Chelsea’s first-choice lineup is on the horizon once again, and it couldn’t come at a better time, with critical games against United, Liverpool and Wolves coming up.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Chelsea really missed Kante </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-483071" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2269,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1253710348.jpeg" alt="Chelsea" width="1600" height="2269" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1253710348.jpeg 1600w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1253710348-768x1089.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">N’Golo Kante- Chelsea (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>2. Chelsea sorely miss N’Golo Kante when he’s not playing</h3>
<p>Kante once again did not feature against Norwich, also missing the Crystal Palace and Sheffield United games after hurting his hamstring in the 3-0 win over Watford.</p>
<p>These past two games, Lampard has started <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/45db685d/Jorginho">Jorginho in his place, who has not been able to fill the same role as the Frenchman. His passing range is excellent, but the defensive side of his game is lacking.</p>
<p>Watching him try to run back on an opposition counterattack is agonizing, as opposed to Kante, who has a superhuman recovery speed and simply never stops running.</p>
<p>Whenever the Blues gave the ball away, which Jorginho himself did a number of times on Tuesday, the Italian seemed like he could not keep up with the pace of the game.</p>
<p>Jorginho’s recent disappointing performances highlight just how important Kante is to Chelsea, which is often overlooked, hence the <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/14/world-class-midfield-future-safe-chelsea/">rumors of him leaving in the summer. If Lampard knows what he’s doing, they should be just rumors and nothing more.</p>
<p>Kante does all of the dirty work in the midfield so the creative midfielders can focus on building attacks instead of always tracking back, whereas with Jorginho the others have to put in more of a shift just to cover for his defensive impediments.</p>
<p>He was played as a more attacking No. 8 for a few seasons, but now Lampard has moved him back to the holding midfielder role, where he is far more comfortable and more useful to the team.</p>
<p>Kante has a chance to make the United game at the weekend, but if he’s not 100% fit he should be rested to focus on the crucial league game against Liverpool the following Wednesday.</p>
<p>In a very tight run-in where every point matters, Kante is there to make sure unnecessary ones don’t slip away, and he’s very good at what he does.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. Pulisic isn't slowing down </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-483072" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2180,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1255920408.jpeg" alt="Chelsea" width="1600" height="2180" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1255920408.jpeg 1600w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1255920408-768x1046.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Christian Pulisic-Chelsea (Photo by Visionhaus)</p>
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<h3>3. Pulisic is not slowing down</h3>
<p>The young American has been <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/08/pulisic-rise-started-chelsea/">one of the most in-form players</a> since the Premier League restart, with three goals and three assists in seven games, and he got another assist on the night.</p>
<p>After receiving a ball from <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/f4290206/Marcos-Alonso">Marcos Alonso</a> on the wing, Pulisic went one-on-one against Todd Cantwell, easily finding room for a cross before curling a very dangerous one into the six-yard box.</p>
<p>It was put on a plate for Giroud, who outmuscled his defender and headed it into the back of the net. Beyond his assist, though, it was another enterprising performance from Pulisic, continuing to bring that drive and intensity he has shown for the past few weeks.</p>
<p>He is the first name on Chelsea’s team sheet at the moment, and his individual brilliance will be key in difficult games still to come.</p>
<p>If he can continue in the same vein and keep affecting matches the way he is at the moment, he will most likely be playing Champions League football next season.</p>
<p>Delivering in big games is what separates the good from the great, so if Pulisic can close out a top-four finish, he will be an instant hero at Stamford Bridge.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. Giroud delivers again </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-483074" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1227128775.jpeg" alt="Chelsea" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1227128775.jpeg 3200w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1227128775-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Olivier Giroud- Chelsea (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>4. Giroud never disappoints</h3>
<p>Giroud is turning out to be the <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/07/giroud-unlikely-hero-chelsea-season/">unlikely hero</a> of the restart. In the five starts he’s been given, he has contributed four goals, with three of those earning crucial points.</p>
<p>This season, he has been the one to step up when his team needs him, even though he only starting two games before mid-February. When he came back into the team after months in the stands, he scored the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur.</p>
<p>Once again, he showed a skill that no one else at the club seems to have against Norwich, brushing aside his opponent in the box with ease and converting Pulisic’s cross to give his side the 1-0 lead.</p>
<p>His relationship with Pulisic also seems to be developing very nicely, just as it did with <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/a39bb753/Eden-Hazard">Eden Hazard</a> before him. Wingers love playing off him, and he just does what he does best; put the ball in the net.</p>
<p>After Pulisic, the World Cup winner has been Chelsea’s most important player since the league resumed, and he looks set to start in the FA Cup against United, as well as against Liverpool later in the week.</p>
<p>Giroud has earned himself a new contract at Chelsea and is a very important reason as to why they have been able to stay in the top four. He looks set to end the season in style against Liverpool and Wolves, and he could well be the reason the Blues clinch a Champions League spot.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 5. Willian is probably leaving Chelsea </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-483075" src=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2176,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fplayingfor90.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2020%2F07%2F1256183744.jpeg" alt="Chelsea" width="3200" height="2176" srcset="https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1256183744.jpeg 3200w, https://playingfor90.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2020/07/1256183744-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Willian- Chelsea (Photo by Adam Davy/Pool via Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>5. Willian is on his way out of Chelsea</h3>
<p>Based on this performance, it seems the Brazilian is not signing a new contract to stay at Chelsea.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Not only did he lack any invention or trickery, but his body language was awful and he looked uninterested, which Lampard cannot afford going into this key stretch of games.</p>
<p>Several times he’d pick the ball up with plenty of space to attack, but instead he’d lightly jog forward and pass it back. He was also visibly upset with his teammates for some reason during the second half, even though he was the one not putting in any effort.</p>
<p>He also looks out of place on the right-wing, as he can’t cut inside onto his favored foot, which is why the arrival of <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/6622454d/Hakim-Ziyech">Hakim Ziyech</a>, <a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/players/hakim-ziyech-chelsea-norwich-city-18597908">who was at Stamford Bridge today</a>, gives Chelsea a better option in that position, being left-footed.</p>
<p>It was very surprising that he lasted the full 90 minutes, although perhaps his manager wanted to give Pulisic some rest and felt his substitution was more important than Willian’s.</p>
<p>After a similarly poor performance by Willian against Sheffield, it will be interesting to see if Lampard elects to start him against United, or if he picks<a href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://fbref.com/en/players/15f3ec41/Callum-Hudson-Odoi"> Callum Hudson-Odoi</a>, who looked bright off the bench today.</p>
<p>Either way, this looks to be Willian’s last season at the club. If he wants a three-year deal at the age of 31, he needs to convince Lampard that he will still have value to the team, and judging by these last performances, he is not worth keeping.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="4 CENTRE-BACKS CHELSEA COULD SIGN IN THE SUMMER" data-url="https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/11/4-centre-backs-chelsea-sign-summer/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #0" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/16/chelsea-5-takeaways-tuesday-win-norwich/"https://playingfor90.com/2020/07/11/4-centre-backs-chelsea-sign-summer/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 4 CENTRE-BACKS CHELSEA COULD SIGN IN THE SUMMER </a> </div>
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<p>In a game that was completely dominated by Chelsea, they only managed to score the one goal, but at this stage of the season securing the three points is all that matters. They took a big step towards Champions League qualification today, but they need to see it through.</p>
<p>Following this match, there are two more Premier League fixtures, and both are against top teams. Both should be treated as finals. Two more finals. Onto the next one.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">