A sign of character
It was Reece James' name that was being sung by the travelling supporters as Chelsea's players walked off the Turf Moor pitch. The post-match mood was one of jubilation, of a job well done. It had been very different 45 minutes earlier.
The Blues' first-half performance against Burnley was one Chelsea fans have become frustratingly accustomed to this season. Pedestrian. Tentative. Lacking in ideas. Every pass was too safe. Every off-the-ball run laboured.
There was some frustration shown from those within Thomas Tuchel's side. Jorginho's attempts to direct the passing of those around him fell on deaf ears. Mason Mount, meanwhile, was angered by Saul Niguez's failure to offer an overlapping run after the England international had drawn two Burnley defenders towards.
A change was needed at the interval. Not so much in personnel but in attitude. That was the message Tuchel relayed to his players in the cramped away dressing room at Turf Moor.
"We just reminded everybody what we want to do," Tuchel said rather matter-of-factly after the game. "We reminded everybody where the spaces were, where we want to find the accelerations, and where we need to step up.
"Clearly, that was upfront. We needed to ask questions and make life more difficult for the back four. The goal then opened the game up for us and gave us more belief and more confidence and then our attacks were more fluid, more decisive."
It was James who broke the deadlock with a goal that reminded Chelsea and Tuchel just how much he has been missed over the last two months due to injury (more on him in a moment). Kai Havertz then struck twice in the space of 120 seconds and Christian Pulisic put further gloss in the scoreline.
It was a second-half performance that reminded everyone just what this Chelsea side can be when the majority of their starting players are fit. And Tuchel was quick to praise the character of his group for stepping up once again, especially given the off-field distractions – namely, Roman Abramovich selling the club – that have taken centre stage this week.
"You know what’s waiting [against Burnley]: physicality, headers, second balls, fighting for second balls, crosses, set-pieces, and again we stepped up. So for me, it showed a lot of character. That’s why I’m very proud," he added.
"It shows the guys have what it takes to play for Chelsea, it shows obviously the environment to focus on football because we believe we are allowed to focus on football as good as possible. That is why I’m very happy."
The victory at Turf Moor was Chelsea's third in succession in the Premier League. In normal circumstances, it would feel as if momentum was building. That isn't quite the case and largely because each one of those victories has come in a different month.
Rolls-Reece is back
It was on December 29 against Brighton and Hove Albion that James suffered a torn hamstring that would keep him out for two months. His absence has been keenly felt.
Cesar Azpilicueta, club captain and a Chelsea legend, has filled in but at 32 years old, the Spaniard doesn't possess the ability to dominate the right flank in the same fashion as James. Nor does he offer the same threat in the penalty area.
The academy graduate proved that rather emphatically against Burnley. His goal was taken with all the poise of an elite winger, twisting and bamboozling three Clarets defenders before drilling a powerful shot across Nick Pope and into the far corner.
Minutes later, James was given space and time to pick out a cross and it was no surprise he found Havertz inside the six-yard box, who bundled the ball over the line.
"He’s a special player for us, a very important player for us," Havertz told Chelsea's in-house media. "He’s a full-back, but he also scores. He’s a great character and a very good player."
James' goal was his fifth in the Premier League this season. He has also reached the same number of assists. Only two other English players can match that achievement – Jarrod Bowen of West Ham and Mount, both of whom are used in the frontline on a regular basis.
That just highlights the level James, when fully fit, has reached this term. He is undoubtedly one of the most important players in Tuchel's side.
"We missed him for such a long time that we almost got used to it," Tuchel said. "I think it was like nine weeks and we played something like 25 matches in that time.
"We were constantly trying to find solutions and we did find solutions as a team, and we managed to win games and even trophies in this period.
"But once he is back and plays three times, and first time from the beginning, you see what we missed. Huge quality and it's very impressive how decisive he is."
Nothing false about Havertz
Rewind a couple of weeks and the fact that Havertz was starting ahead of Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea's club-record signing, would've been rather big news, but that is no longer the case. The German has earned his spot.
Havertz operates very differently to Lukaku when leading the Chelsea attack. He drifts across the frontline into space and doesn't tend to engage in physical battles with centre-backs. His approach is more subtle than the Belgian's but that doesn't mean he isn't an effective penalty-box presence.
Nor does it mean he can't score goals traditional number nines would be proud of. In fact, three of his four Premier League goals this term have been headers.
His latest came at Turf Moor as Havertz nodded home an excellent Christian Pulisic cross. His second goal, meanwhile, was that of a poacher as he scrambled the ball over the line from close range.
Lukaku will return to the starting XI in the weeks ahead; the Blues, perhaps now more than ever, can't simply write off a £97.5million investment. Yet you suspect when it comes to the crunch fixtures, the Champions League knockout stage matches, it will be Havertz who leads the line.
Transfer priority is clear
Abramovich's decision to put the club up for sale this week has shrouded Chelsea in uncertainty. Nobody knows at this stage who will buy the club. And nobody knows how the new owner – or ownership group – will run the Blues.
The hope among supporters is, of course, that Chelsea's insatiable desire to win trophies remains, and that Tuchel is handed signings to help compete for the Premier League title against Manchester City and Liverpool.
There can be no guarantees, but what has become clear in recent months is one of the key areas in need of strengthening in the summer – if not the key area – is left wing-back.
Ben Chilwell's injury had a hugely destabilising effect on Chelsea's season. It was then compounded by James tearing his hamstring a month later.
In Tuchel's 3-4-2-1 shape, the wing-backs are all important. And while Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso have stepped in, they haven't been able to match the same level as the duo they replaced.
"The wing-backs are crucial and we miss out top wing-backs, Reecey and Ben, for too long," Tuchel admitted after the win at Turf Moor. "And this [having James and Chilwell] can change any game, can change a whole streak of results."
Chilwell isn't expected to return to full fitness until the summer. And after six months out, it would be unreasonable to expect him to pick up exactly where he left off. He is likely to need time.
And that is why Chelsea will need to sign – or incorporate – another left wing-back in the summer. Alonso simply doesn't have the same dynamism and pace to thrive in Tuchel's set-up and, while this may sound somewhat harsh, the Blues can't afford to carry any passengers in their squad they are to hunt down Man City and Liverpool next term.
Tuchel shows his class (again)
The Chelsea head coach has not had it easy over the past fortnight. As the only media-facing member of the Blues staff, he has faced questions on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich's decision to sell the club, and plenty more.
Tuchel has managed to answer each question expertly, showing compassion and understanding while also ensuring he doesn't create negative headlines for the club that employs him.
And that was once again the case at Turf Moor when Tuchel was asked after the game to give his thoughts on a minority of the Chelsea travelling support chanting Abramovich's name during the minute's applause in solidarity for those in Ukraine.
"It's not the moment to do this. Listen, if we show solidarity we show solidarity and we should do it together," the German said.
"We take the knee together and if an important person from our club or another club unfortunately dies, we show a minute of respect. It's not the moment to give other messages. It's the moment to show respect.
"We do this because this is what we are also as a club. We show respect as a club and we need our fans to commit to this minute of applause. At this moment, we do it for Ukraine and there is no second opinion about the situation there. They have our thoughts and our support.
"We should stand together as a club. It's not the moment for other messages."
