Chelsea’s revival under Enzo Maresca continued on Thursday evening as they secured an important 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen in their last-16 Conference League tie.
Given the strength of their squad, plus the nature of the teams left in the competition, if the Blues don’t claim the trophy, it will be a major disappointment indeed.
If they do, they will become the first team to win the Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners’ Cup and now Conference League, placing them in their own unique bubble.
Winning trophies is what the supporters are desperate for, especially after a tough few years.
Maresca certainly looks as though he is at Stamford Bridge for the long haul. If he does win the Conference League, it should give him and the club a major boost heading into the 2025/26 season.
They have come a long way since being managed by Frank Lampard, that’s for sure…
Frank Lampard’s time in charge of Chelsea
When Lampard took his first managerial position at Derby County ahead of the 2018/19 season, eventually taking the reins at Chelsea was something which could happen at some point in the future, depending on how well his career in the dugout panned out.
After leading the Rams to the Championship playoff final, he managed to secure a return to the Blues in the summer of 2019, taking over from Italian, Maurizio Sarri.
It was the biggest gamble in Roman Abramovich’s tenure so far, especially considering the calibre of manager he could have lured to London.
Lampard led the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League during his maiden season, despite the season being interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.
It was a decent showing, especially with a transfer embargo placed upon the club, meaning the former Blues midfielder had to field several young talents.
Unfortunately, despite the presence of youngsters such as Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham, Lampard was sacked in January 2021 with Chelsea sitting ninth in the table, after spending nearly £200m in the transfer window.
His replacement, Thomas Tuchel, ended up leading the club to Champions League success, with both Mount and Abraham playing key roles in the club’s success.
The duo looked like they could be the future of the Stamford Bridge side heading into a new era under the German coach.
First Impressions
Lampard gave them their chance in the first team, and it was Abraham who looked like he could lead the line for the Blues over the coming years.
Tammy Abraham’s Chelsea record
After an impressive start to the 2019/20 season, Lampard lauded praise on the striker that October after a goal against Southampton, saying:
“Tammy’s goal was incredible. It’s confidence. When people are in good form, things happen for them. And that comes from how Tammy has handled himself all season form the early moments when people were questioning him.
“The work ethic behind the scenes that gets him in such good nick. He’s not just a handful for defenders, he has good feet, holds up the ball well. He is also getting goals which is brilliant for him.”
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
12
1
0
2022/23
54
9
6
2021/22
53
27
5
2020/21
32
12
5
2019/20
47
18
4
2018/19
42
26
3
2017/18
39
8
4
2016/17
48
26
4
That campaign ended with the Englishman scoring 18 goals in all competitions, including 15 in the Premier League, setting him up nicely for the following campaign.
He was even hailed by former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, who dubbed Abraham as “Didier Drogba-esque” after a goal during the 2019/20 season. High praise indeed.
His development continued despite managerial changes at the club, netting 12 goals for the Blues as they claimed their second Champions League trophy courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
It looked as though he was going to be the main man under Tuchel, but during the final few weeks of the summer transfer window, he was sold to AS Roma.
Why Chelsea struck gold selling Tammy Abraham
Overall, his spell at Chelsea yielded a total of 30 goals in 82 appearances for the club, but when Roma came in with an offer of £34m, it was clear that Tuchel was ready to cash in and use the money elsewhere.
Perhaps a fresh start would work out well for the English striker, as plenty of players from these shores have shone upon moving to continental Europe.
Indeed, 27 goals and five assists for the Italian side in all competitions proved why Mourinho spent that sort of fee in bringing him to the club. He added the Conference League trophy to his collection in the process.
The following two seasons weren’t quite as productive, with injuries during the 2023/24 campaign meaning the 27-year-old played just 13 times for the Serie A side.
With just days left of the 2024 summer transfer window, AC Milan announced that they had signed Abraham on a season-long loan deal from Roma. This gave him a chance of a fresh start in Milan after a year of hell.
Across 34 matches for the club, he has managed to score just eight goals, with only two coming in Serie A. Hardly the most productive of loan spells.
In the Italian top flight, the striker averages only one shot per game while missing ten big chances. Furthermore, he has completed just 5.1 passes per game along with taking 13.2 touches each match for Milan.
If he continues this sort of form, there is only one way the player will go, and this could see his value decrease significantly. At present, he is valued at just £17m, as per Transfermarkt, half of what Chelsea originally sold him for.
Aside from his debut season for Roma, Abraham’s spell in Italy hasn’t quite produced the goods. While injury issues can be blamed on his poor form last term, since joining Milan, he has struggled under the weight of expectation.
This certainly suggests that Chelsea hit the jackpot in selling him way back in the summer of 2021, no doubt about that.
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