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Chelsea fans from all over the world erupted at the sound of the full-time whistle at the UEFA Champions League final at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto. As the sun rose over my hometown in Gurgaon, India, I too joined in on the celebrations, watching my team celebrate the biggest prize in European football from the confines of my home during lockdown.
As a boyhood Chelsea fan, it was one of the greatest nights of my football-obsessed life. Kai Havertz's strike just before half-time quashed Manchester City's hopes of a maiden European trophy. That said, we have been here before.
Chelsea won the Champions League in Munich in 2012, defeating home team Bayern Munich on penalties after a 1-1 stalemate. The night proved to be a seminal one for Chelsea's emergence as an elite-level football club, but is far-removed from Saturday's triumph.
The Blues' triumph in Munich was a special one, by all accounts. The West London club have been transformed into a title-winning machine after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich acquired the club in 2003. Back then, a European trophy was the only significant one missing from their cabinet.
That made the final in Munich truly remarkable. Chelsea's underdog status had only gotten larger as they advanced through each stage to the final. Roberto di Matteo's side, ravaged by injuries and suspensions, were outplayed by Bayern Munich for most of the match.
Didier Drogba's late equalizer and Petr Cech's penalty-saving heroics brought a fitting end to an aging group of superstars who had won it all together. Most of the squad were part of the team that came up short in the final four years prior, against rivals Manchester United.
However, there was nothing fortunate about Chelsea's 2021 triumph. Thomas Tuchel's side conceded a grand total of two goals in the knockout stages. En route to the final, they thoroughly outplayed La Liga champions Atletico Madrid and runners-up Real Madrid over two legs. The same can be said about their performance against Manchester City in the final.
They did so not through a team that had "seen it all," but through an exciting group of young and talented players, assembled in part through their academy and in part through exorbitant transfer fees. But that brings the beauty of vintage and modern football together, and Chelsea are a club headed in the right direction.
Chelsea's new generation stands and delivers, with a promising future ahead
Mason Mount (22), Reece James (21), and Ben Chilwell (24) were the stand-out performers on the night of the final, as well as throughout the season. Mount, who has been at Chelsea since he was six years old, was voted Player of the Year at the club this season. It was his brilliant pass that put Kai Havertz through on goal for the winner. The Englishman has announced himself on the big stage this year, and he is here to stay.
Both Callum Hudson-Odoi (20), and Christian Pulisic (22) have also played their part in Chelsea's success this year, even as impact substitutions or the odd start here and there. Both have plenty to prove, and more than enough time to do so.
Billy Gilmour, who was recently in and out of the team during Mateo Kovacic's injury, is also an exciting talent. The 19-year-old midfielder's performances over the last two seasons at Chelsea have earned him an international call-up to represent Scotland at the European Championships this year.
However, no other player can sum up the untapped potential at Chelsea more than Kai Havertz. The 21-year-old has had a difficult start to life in London following a club-record £72 million move to a new country during quarantine restrictions and contracting symptomatic COVID-19 in November last year.
There are few moments more joyous than watching the intense, poker-faced German glide on a football pitch with effortless control and ability, finding spaces that only he can find. Perhaps that is also what makes it all the more infuriating to watch him miss simple two-metre passes and disappear in games altogether.
Havertz's match-winning goal made him a Chelsea hero regardless of where he goes from here. But his performance in the Champions League final proves that the Blues have a generational talent in the making. He pla alongside a strong core of young players who have proven their worth.
A special note for Havertz's explicit and iconic post-match interview following the match:
The German was brought to Stamford Bridge alongside Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech in a trio of big-money signings last summer to bolster their attack. Both Werner and Ziyech have played a big part in the squad this summer, but are yet to take Chelsea's attack to the next level. The former, in particular, has had Chelsea fans lamenting over the flurry of big chances he has missed all season, including two on Saturday.
However, both players seem more settled at Chelsea than they looked in the first half of the season. If the duo are able to add to their numbers and add a serious goalscoring threat to the Blues next year, the west London side could become a formidable threat.
Thomas Tuchel's incredible Chelsea transformation
As most football fans celebrate Chelsea's Champions League triumph, spare a thought for former Blues boss Frank Lampard. After 18 months at Chelsea, the Blues' record goalscorer did great work with the youth setup at the club, bringing through plenty of talented players before he was sacked last December.
That said, that is where Lampard's impact on this team ends. The triumph in Porto is, by all means, Thomas Tuchel's triumph.
Tuchel came to Chelsea at a particularly tricky time. He took charge of a massive, disenchanted dressing room full of fringe players, while fans of the club despaired over the loss of one of Chelsea's greatest servants from the dressing room in Frank Lampard.
The German's transformation of Chelsea from a disappointing mid-table position in the Premier League to a top-four finish and the Champions League title is truly a remarkable feat.
Known to be a proponent of the German style of high-intensity, high-pressing, "heavy-metal" football (a term coined by the ever quotable Jurgen Klopp), Tuchel was known to be a bit of a confrontational personality. Having been sacked by Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel came to west London with a lot to prove.
The German has stayed true to the hype, with final-third recoveries, high pressing and quick breakaways being a key form of the Chelsea attack. But his biggest achievement with the Blues was undoubtedly the defensive structure he was able to incorporate instantly.
Tuchel used a three-man central defense with Thiago Silva, who captained PSG to the Champions League final under Tuchel last year, at the heart of it. Club-captain Cesar Azpilicueta and fringe player turned mainstay Antonio Rudiger were employed beside him, for the most part. Rudiger, in particular, has put up incredible displays since Tuchel first took over.
The German used a two-man midfield pivot with Italian midfielder Jorginho as the ever-present, linking up play and bringing much-needed composure to the team. While Mateo Kovacic was excellent when called upon, any praise from Chelsea or Tuchel would be remiss without mentioning N'Golo Kante.
The Frenchman's energy and dynamism was used by the manager to break up opposition midfield play and move the ball quickly in transitions, Chelsea's most useful attacking strategy.
Simply put, the Blues would not have won the Champions League without Kante in midfield.
Thomas Tuchel outfoxed Pep Guardiola, arguably the greatest manager of his generation, on three separate occasions this year. He also got the better of Diego Simeone, Zinedine Zidane, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp in the five months he has spent at Stamford Bridge so far.
The German is now all set to receive a contract extension from the club, which will seemingly accompany a hefty pay rise. His unique mix of defensive structure and frenetic energy has made him a perfect fit for Chelsea, and he will be entrusted with any moves they make in the summer transfer window.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with a move for a big name center forward this year, with Abramovich seeming motivated to compete alongside the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to contend for the Premier League. It is now five years since the Blues last won the league, the longest period since the Russian took over.
Fans of the club can rejoice over winning the biggest prize in European football, and the euphoria will not die down anytime soon. The frenzy and chaos that has ensued at Chelsea this year is an inevitability, but so is the success. Take it in, Blues fans, enjoy it. This time around it is not a reward for the 'Golden Generation', but the beginning of potentially bigger and better things to come.
