Frank Lampard managed to record his first win with Chelsea during his second season away to Bournemouth on Saturday. Photo: PA/Adam Davy
Frank Lampard will not be present as a new era dawns at Chelsea this summer, but Saturday's victory over Bournemouth, the first since the former midfielder returned to the club, was a turning point.
The goals scored by Conor Gallagher, Benoît Badiashile and Joao Felix all came from players who were either newcomers or who still have a lot to prove. Telegraph Sport believes that this victory can tell us what to expect from the club next season.
A young look at the defense
Despite Lampard lavishing praise on Thiago Silva's dedication and professionalism on Saturday, the 38-year-old cannot go on forever. With 31-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly also hampered by injury and inconsistency since his arrival from Naples, next season's defense line-up will be young and Badiaxile has been the standout player of the game at Bournemouth.
Rhys James, Trevo Chalobah and Wesley Fofana will also be prominent. Full-backs have played a key role in the system Mauricio Pochettino has used at his previous clubs and are being asked to play an attacking role. At Tottenham, he has used both a three-man and four-man defense, and given the embarrassment of the wealth available at Stamford Bridge, if the Argentine becomes manager, he could choose either system.
Midfield stability returns
For despite Chelsea's turmoil this season and a surprisingly high turnover of players, the midfield at Bournemouth looked cohesive and understanding. At 32 years old, H'Golo Kante has shown that he has the mobility and tenacity to match anyone, and when he is in good shape, few are better in world football than the Frenchman.
Next to him, Enzo Fernandez showed glimpses of his exuberant qualities. At 22 and still adjusting to the pace of Premier League football, he will only get better. Bournemouth counter-attacked at great speed, but the athleticism shown by Fernandez and Kante in reaching the full width of the field to regain possession bodes well when Chelsea face a low-block team looking to hit them at half-time. .
Leading them up is Gallagher: Freed from much of his defensive responsibility, the 23-year-old accurately timed his run into the box to nod at Chelsea's first goal and aimed to get between the lines throughout the 90 minutes he played against Gary. The O's side of the Nile. Having paid off loan debts at Charlton, Swansea, West Bromwich and Crystal Palace, next season will be important for the player who started training at the club at the age of six, if he stays.
Mysteries that still to be decided in the future
Despite all the money Todd Boeli has lavished on Chelsea since he acquired the club, Chelsea had only scored twice in eight games prior to their visit to the south coast. As a Premier League manager, Pochettino favored a focus supported by three players behind him. At Southampton it was Ricky Lambert, at Tottenham it was Harry Kane, but there is no obvious candidate at Chelsea.
Kai Havertz offered little as a centre-forward against Bournemouth but could rightly point out that it was not his most natural role. To his left, Mikhail Mudryk has again failed to impress and is struggling to adjust to the harsh conditions of the Premier League. Far more promising was Noni Madueke, a 21-year-old who excelled on the right flank in the first half, in particular linking well with Kante before switching later to the left flank. Raheem Sterling took to the pitch and put in a great 30 minutes to set up a goal for Felix, whose future remains uncertain.
Number of teams
With over 30 players on the roster, big turnover is again promised this summer. Asked about Boeli fans' dissatisfaction, Lampard defended the American, saying: «I know this club has the intention of taking him back to where he wants to be.»
This certainly means there is no the arrival of new big money is just around the corner, but many are also leaving. There are so many senior pros at Cobham that it's not uncommon to see two 11-on-11 games in training. Pochettino tends to prefer a smaller team, so one of the first things to do will be deciding who leaves first.
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