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Chelsea have certainly found their mojo back following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel. During last night's champions league win over Atletico Madrid, the Blues notably extended their unbeaten run to a record-breaking 13 games under the new manager. With the 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge (3-0 aggregate), they have now qualified for the quarter-finals in the prestigious football tournament in Europe.
Hakim Ziyech or Didier Drogba? 2012 or 2021?
It was certainly an action-packed night for the Blues in Champions League. Coming into the second leg with a 1-0 advantage, they knew a clean-sheet would be enough for them to secure a spot in Final 8. Tuchel's side focused on their defensive shape, while looking for an opportunity to break free. They got one such moment in the 34th minute of the contest when Kai Havertz started a fierce counter-attack, found Timo Werner in space who produced an inch-perfect pass to Hakim Ziyech who found the back of the net.
While the Chelsea fans were dancing with joy to see their new trio combining in an emphatic fashion, there was also a sense of nostalgia that came with the beautiful goal. Just 9 years back at the same venue, the Blues had scored a very similar counter-attacking goal against another Spanish opponent, Barcelona. Instead of Havertz, Werner and Ziyech, it was the trio of Lampard, Ramires and Drogba who were involved in that famous Champions League goal in 2012.
It was the newly-appointed Roberto Di Matteo who was in-charge that night as Chelsea eventually went on to clinch their maiden UCL title. Yesterday, it was another newly-appointed manager Thomas Tuchel who led the Blues to another famous win. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea can completely turn back the clock and clinch another historic title in Europe.