Chelsea are in a commanding position in the Champions League last 16 after a 2-0 over Lille. But one underlying stat showcases the real quality of the team.
Following this 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, The Blues have now broken a Champions League/European Cup record by becoming the first team to win five consecutive home games without conceding a goal.
5 – Chelsea are the first English team in the history of the European Cup/Champions League to win five consecutive home matches without conceding a goal. Fortress. pic.twitter.com/TymxguK7Jo
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2022
Under boss Thomas Tuchel Chelsea have almost always been an incredible rigid side who are difficult to score goals against. It is a factor which allows them to stay in games even when they’re not at their best.
You only need to look at Chelsea’s Club World Cup performances to see this in action. While they were far from their best throughout the competition, they still managed to stay in the game and squeeze out their opponents for a victory.
Another example is the weekend’s game against Crystal Palace. They looked pretty toothless in attack, compounded by Romelu Lukaku’s seven touches of the ball as the main striker in the day. But they still managed to squeeze out a positive result.
While Chelsea looked better against Lille in spells thanks to Kai Havertz’s efforts to bring more cohesion to Chelsea’s attack, they were once again rigid enough to see themselves through with a clean sheet at home to give them a significant advantage ahead of the second leg.
So long as Chelsea keep this record at home, any would be usurpers will find it tough to knock them off of their seat as the reigning kings of Europe.