Chelsea held their nerve under testing conditions to collect a fifth straight victory in all competitions this season – the first time Frank Lampard has achieved such a feat in his managerial career, and West London’s young guns must now prepare themselves for a real test of their credentials as they take their youthful experiment across Europe to the forefathers of academy success, Ajax, in what will prove a critical Champions League doubleheader.
The relief that reverberated around Stamford Bridge when Marcos Alonso struck low under Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka could be felt across the capital, as North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal grimaced at the sight of Chelsea’s newfound resilience that had previously eluded them in their search for both style and substance.
The Blues’ upturn in fortunes has of course been put down to the startling form of Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi among others. But whilst their impact continues to fill newspaper columns with frantic regularity, it can not be understated the effect of Willian’s recent resurgence. His winning goal against Lille sparked into life the impressive nature of Chelsea’s recent winning run, showcasing the team’s ability to turn previously hopeless causes into dramatic victories and the Brazilian must once more combine experience and prolificacy – no player has scored more goals (10 goals and five assists) for Chelsea in the Champions League since his debut in September 2013, in order to leave Amsterdam having wrestled back control of the group from the very team they will contest on Wednesday night.
