West Ham win the perfect morale-booster for Chelsea ahead of Real Madrid showdown
Timo Werner’s reaction when he scored against West Ham United painted the perfect picture of what the moment meant for the entire Chelsea team.
The German forward has struggled since joining the Blues from RB Leipzig last summer, but he was the match-winner when they faced the Hammers on Saturday.
David Moyes’ side has been very impressive this season and remain a threat to Chelsea’s chances of finishing in the top four. That made the match a must-win for the Blues.
Fortunately for Thomas Tuchel’s side, they managed to get the better of Jesse Lingard and co. Despite West Ham’s best efforts, they couldn’t come back from Werner’s first-half strike.
Chelsea boost top-four chances
The race to finish in the top four of the Premier League has become tougher than ever. Aside from Manchester City and Manchester United, who seem guaranteed to finish first and second respectively, the battle for the two remaining spots is no child’s play.
As many as six teams are currently battling for a place in the Champions League, however, Chelsea took a huge step when they defeated West Ham on Saturday.
The Blues are now a point behind third-placed Leicester City and three clear of the Hammers. With just five league games left to be played, Tuchel’s side is certainly in a very good position.
The coming weeks will be tough but Chelsea have just recorded three points against one of their top-four rivals and that gives them a slight cushion in the race for a Champions League spot.
Best morale-booster for Real Madrid showdown
Chelsea’s win over West Ham was the perfect morale-booster ahead of their Champions League semi-final showdown with Real Madrid.
The Blues will face the Spanish side for a place in the final of the competition on Tuesday and will be aiming for a favorable result in the first-leg at the Alfred di Stefano Stadium.
The resilient performance they put up against the Hammers, however, put them in the perfect mood and boosted their confidence ahead of their European trip.
"The team effort is huge and after 15 minutes of the second half, we got the control back in the game and had the chance to have a two-goal cushion, to score a second one and control the game after that,” Tuchel said in his post-game press conference, as quoted by Goal.
"At 1-0 it's always tough until the end but I felt the team was very focused and strong. It's the best way to arrive in another massive match in the Champions League. The race will go on [in the Premier League] and we have to continue to deliver points."
In Real Madrid, Chelsea will be facing their toughest opponent yet under the Tuchel era, but the Blues have shown that they can match any opponent on their day.