2020–21 Chelsea F.c. Season

The season covered the period from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Chelsea

2020–21 season
Owner	Roman Abramovich
Chairman	Bruce Buck
Head coach	Frank Lampard (until 25 January 2021) Thomas Tuchel (from 26 January 2021)
Stadium	Stamford Bridge
Premier League	4th
FA Cup	Runners-up
EFL Cup	Fourth round
UEFA Champions League	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: Jorginho (7) All: Tammy Abraham Timo Werner (12 each)
Biggest win	6–0 (vs. Barnsley, 23 September 2020, EFL Cup)
Biggest defeat	2–5 (vs. West Bromwich Albion, 3 April 2021, Premier League)
Home colours Away colours Third colours
← 2019–20 2021–22 →

Prior to the 2020–21 season, Chelsea made numerous high-profile signings in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, and Thiago Silva in the off-season, as well as Édouard Mendy shortly after the season began. The Blues began this season under the management of former Chelsea player Frank Lampard, in his second season at the club. However, Lampard was sacked in January and replaced by German manager Thomas Tuchel, who guided the club to European glory, as on 29 May, Chelsea defeated fellow English side Manchester City in the Champions League final, their second title in the competition, and their first since 2012.

The season was the first since 2012–13 without Willian, who departed to Arsenal.

 

 

 

 

Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Hakim Ziyech were the fresh signings of this club. Frank Lampard bought them to Stamford Bridge prior to his sacking.

September

Chelsea played their first game of the new Premier League season on 14 September 2020, travelling to Brighton & Hove Albion and earning a 3–1 away victory, courtesy of goals from Jorginho, Kurt Zouma and Reece James. On 20 September, Chelsea welcomed defending champions Liverpool to Stamford Bridge. Andreas Christensen was dismissed in the first half after a naive challenge on Sadio Mané, who then proceeded to score two goals inside four minutes for Liverpool, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga making a crucial mistake for Mané's second goal. New signing Timo Werner managed to win a penalty for Chelsea, but Jorginho had his effort saved by Alisson, his first penalty miss in nine attempts, as the match ended in a 2–0 defeat for Chelsea.

Three days later, Chelsea faced Barnsley in the EFL Cup, which ended in a 6–0 win for Chelsea, with Kai Havertz scoring a hat-trick for the Blues. Chelsea then travelled to The Hawthorns to play West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea were 3–0 down at half-time, but goals from Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Tammy Abraham in stoppage-time managed to seal a draw as the match ended 3–3. On 29 September, Chelsea took on London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16 in the EFL Cup. Timo Werner scored his first Chelsea goal to put the Blues ahead, but Erik Lamela managed to equalise in the second half. Chelsea would go on to lose 5–4 on penalties, with Mason Mount missing the decisive penalty and Chelsea finding themselves eliminated from the EFL Cup.

Reece James' goal against Brighton was nominated for the Premier League Goal of the Month award, but was won by Leicester City's James Maddison.

October

Chelsea's first match of October was against Crystal Palace at home. After no goals in the first half, Chelsea managed to win 4–0, as Ben Chilwell registered a goal and an assist on his Premier League debut for Chelsea. Two weeks later, on 17 October, Chelsea welcomed Southampton to Stamford Bridge. Timo Werner scored his first Premier League goals for Chelsea as the Blues were leading 2–0 inside 28 minutes, with Danny Ings managing to pull a goal back for the Saints before half-time. Che Adams scored an equaliser for Southampton 57 minutes in, but Chelsea instantly responded with a Kai Havertz goal two minutes later, his first in the Premier League. Chelsea were pegged back again in the 92nd minute, with Jannik Vestergaard levelling the game, as Chelsea managed to come out of the game with a frustrating 3–3 draw. In their next two games, Chelsea drew back-to-back games 0–0, first against Sevilla at home in their first Champions League group stage game of the season, and then again away at Manchester United in the Premier League.

Chelsea then defeated Krasnodar 4–0 away in the Champions League, with Callum Hudson-Odoi, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, and Christian Pulisic all on target for the Blues. In Chelsea's final game of the month on 31 October, they defeated Burnley 3–0 away, with Hakim Ziyech scoring and assisting on his first Premier League start, with additional goals from Kurt Zouma and Timo Werner sealing the win for Chelsea.

As a result of his performances throughout the month, Thiago Silva was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award, which was eventually won by Tottenham Hotspur's Heung-min Son, and Timo Werner's first goal against Southampton was nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month, but was instead given to West Ham United's Manuel Lanzini.

November

Chelsea begun November with a 3–0 home victory over Rennes in the Champions League, with the goals coming from two Timo Werner penalties and a Tammy Abraham strike. Three days later, in Chelsea's last match before the November international break, Chelsea faced bottom of the league Sheffield United at home, who had lost seven out of their first eight Premier League games this season. The match ended in a comfortable 4–1 win for the Blues, which saw Hakim Ziyech pick up two assists.

After the international break, Chelsea returned on 21 November to face Newcastle United at St James' Park. Chelsea ran out 2–0 winners, with a Federico Fernández own goal and a goal from Tammy Abraham sealing the win for Chelsea, marking the first time Chelsea were top of the Premier League under Frank Lampard. Chelsea won their sixth consecutive game in a row in their next match against Rennes in the Champions League, which saw Callum Hudson-Odoi and Olivier Giroud on the scoresheet in a 2–1 away victory, sealing qualification for the Champions League round of 16. Chelsea next had inform London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to play at Stamford Bridge, who had already eliminated Chelsea from the EFL Cup back in September. The match ended in goalless 0–0 draw, which saw Tottenham ascend to the top of the league.

Ben Chilwell's performances throughout November earned a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month award, which was by Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, and Frank Lampard's managerial duties saw him nominated for Premier League Manager of the Month, which was instead by Tottenham Hotspur's José Mourinho.

December

Chelsea's first game of the busy December period was at Sevilla in the Champions League group stage. Frank Lampard's Blues ran out 4–0 winners, with Olivier Giroud scoring all four goals for Chelsea, ensuring that the Blues' top spot in their group was secured. On December 5, they welcomed bitter rivals Leeds United to Stamford Bridge, in Chelsea's first home game with 2,000 fans in attendance. Leeds took a shock lead just five minutes through Patrick Bamford, but the Blues managed to equalise with an Olivier Giroud goal and defeated their rivals 3–1 to go top of the Premier League, with Kurt Zouma and Christian Pulisic also adding to the goals. Chelsea played out a 1–1 home draw three days later against Krasnodar, in their final group stage game of the Champions League.

Next, Chelsea travelled to Goodison Park to play Everton on 12 December. The match ended in a 1–0 loss for Chelsea, their first away defeat of the season, putting an end to their 17-game unbeaten run and losing ground in the title race, with Tottenham and Liverpool both ahead of Chelsea, and with a game in hand. Chelsea then followed this up by losing again away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, with a 95th minute winner from Pedro Neto sealing a 2–1 win for Wolves. Chelsea returned to winning ways in a 3–0 home victory against West Ham United, with a header from Thiago Silva and a brace from Tammy Abraham sealing an emphatic victory.

On 26 December, Chelsea travelled to North London to play out-of-form Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium; Arsenal were in 15th place and were winless in the last seven matches entering this game. The Gunners took a shock 2–0 lead at half-time, courtesy of an Alexandre Lacazette penalty and a Granit Xhaka free kick, before Bukayo Saka added to Arsenal's shock lead in the 56th minute. Tammy Abraham scored a consolation goal in the 85th minute, and Jorginho had a penalty saved in added time by Bernd Leno, to ensure no comeback was to happen for the Blues, in an humiliating 3–1 defeat. Chelsea closed out 2020 with a 1–1 home draw against Aston Villa, with Olivier Giroud and Anwar El Ghazi scoring the only goals of the game.

January

Chelsea's first match of 2021 was at home against Manchester City on 3 January. Chelsea struggled greatly throughout the game and were 3–0 down inside 34 minutes, with the goals coming from İlkay Gündoğan, Phil Foden, and former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a consolation goal in the 92nd minute, as the Blues suffered another embarrassing 3–1 defeat. The next week, Chelsea begun their quest for the FA Cup after coming up short the previous year, starting off their journey with a comfortable 4–0 home victory against League Two side Morecambe in the third round, with Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Kai Havertz finding the net for Chelsea.

Chelsea then made a trip to Craven Cottage to take on West London rivals Fulham. The game saw Fulham fullback Antonee Robinson being shown a red card after a dangerous challenge César Azpilicueta. Mason Mount managed to score the only goal of the match in the 78th minute, as Chelsea earned a hard-fought 1–0 win against their rivals. Chelsea's next match was away at high-flying Leicester City, who at this point were second in the league. Chelsea went on to lose this match 2–0, with first-half goals from Wilfred Ndidi and James Maddison piling more misery on the Blues' bad run of form. Frank Lampard's final game took place on 24 January, as Chelsea defeated Luton Town 3–1 in the FA Cup. However, this wasn't enough to save Lampard's job, as the very next day, Chelsea announced the sacking of Lampard after their poor run of form that included only two wins from their past eight league matches.

The following day, it was announced that former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel would be replacing Lampard as the manager of Chelsea. Tuchel's first match in charge took place two days later, with Chelsea taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge. The match ended in a frustrating 0–0 stalemate, with Chelsea having 79% possession of the ball but were unable to find the net. Tuchel stated after the match that "we will build a team nobody wants to play against". Chelsea's final match of the month was against Burnley at home, which saw Tuchel claim his first win as Chelsea manager, as goals from César Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso sealed a 2–0 victory for the Blues. Alonso's strike against the Clarets earned him a nomination for the Premier League Goal of the Month award, eventually won by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

February

Chelsea opened February with three consecutive away victories at Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United in the league, and Barnsley in the FA Cup. On 15 February, Chelsea welcomed Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea winning 2–0 to claim their fifth victory in a row in all competitions, as Timo Werner ended his 14-game goal drought in the Premier League, dating back to November.

Chelsea then took the trip to St Mary's Stadium to take on Southampton on 20 February, who had lost their last six Premier League matches in a row, including a 9–0 defeat at Manchester United. The Blues could only manage a 1–1 draw, with Takumi Minamino opening the scoring in the first half before Mason Mount equalised with a penalty in the second half. Three days later, Chelsea travelled to Spain to play Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. Chelsea won the match 1–0, with an Olivier Giroud bicycle kick sealing the first leg win and a crucial away goal for Chelsea. Chelsea returned to Premier League action on 28 February, playing out a dull goalless stalemate against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's league performances under Thomas Tuchel in February earned the German a nomination for the Premier League Manager of the Month award, which was won by Manchester City's Pep Guardiola.

March

Chelsea's first match of the month saw them take on Liverpool at Anfield, who had lost their last four home games after going on a 68-game home unbeaten run between April 2017 and January 2021, the second-longest in league history, with the record belonging to Chelsea themselves after going unbeaten at home for 86 games between March 2004 and October 2008. Chelsea defeated the Reds 1–0, with a superb Mason Mount strike in the 42nd minute condemning Liverpool to their fifth home loss in a row, and Tuchel extending his unbeaten run to 10 games. Next, Chelsea defeated Everton 2–0, with an own goal form Ben Godfrey and a Jorginho penalty sealing the victory for the Blues.

The Blues then travelled to Elland Road to play bitter rivals Leeds United on 13 March, which ended in a 0–0 draw. Chelsea then played the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Atlético Madrid, this time at home, with the Blues heading into the game with a 1–0 advantage and a away goal. Chelsea earned a 2–0 victory, with goals from Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri ensuring Chelsea's progression to the quarter finals of the Champions League, the first time they had done so since the 2013–14 season. The victory also meant that Tuchel became the first Chelsea manager to go unbeaten in his first 13 matches in charge of the club, surpassing the previous record of 12 held by Luiz Felipe Scolari. Chelsea followed this up by defeating Sheffield United in the quarter finals of the FA Cup, sending the Blues through to the semi-finals. Chelsea then went on a brief hiatus for the March international break.

Chelsea were nominated for all three Premier League awards in March, with Andreas Christensen's defensive performances earning him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month award, and Mason Mount's goal against Liverpool also being nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month. Thomas Tuchel was nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for the second consecutive month, this time being honoured with the award.

April

Chelsea's first match after the international break saw them welcome relegation-fighting West Bromwich Albion to Stamford Bridge. Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea the lead 27 minutes in but just two minutes later, Thiago Silva was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. The Blues found themselves 2–1 down at half-time via a stoppage-time brace from Matheus Pereira. Goals from Callum Robinson and Mbaye Diagne gave the Baggies a shocking 4–1 lead. Mason Mount managed to pull one back for Chelsea, but another goal from Callum Robinson in added time capped off an embarrassing 2–5 defeat for Chelsea, ending Thomas Tuchel's 14-game unbeaten streak as manager. It was the first time Chelsea had conceded 5 goals at home since a 3–5 defeat against Arsenal in 2011, and was also the first time they had lost to West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge since 1978. Chelsea bounced back from the humiliation in their next game, which was the first leg of their Champions League quarter final tie against Porto away, which saw a fine Mason Mount strike and a late Ben Chilwell goal give Chelsea a 2–0 victory with two crucial away goals.

Chelsea then travelled to South London to take on Crystal Palace away on 10 April. Goals from Kai Havertz, Kurt Zouma and a brace from Christian Pulisic saw Chelsea run out 4–1 winners, the first time they had scored more than two goals under Tuchel. The Blues then played Porto in the second leg of the Champions League quarter finals, heading into the game with a 2–0 advantage and two away goals. Chelsea were defeated 1–0 thanks to a late Mehdi Taremi overhead kick, but did enough to make it through to the Champions League semi-finals, winning 2–1 on aggregate. Four days later, Chelsea defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals, with Hakim Ziyech scoring the winner to help Chelsea advance to the FA Cup Final for the second consecutive year.

On 18 April, it was announced that Chelsea would be a founding member of the newly formed European Super League, a proposed annual club football competition to be contested by twenty of Europe's most elite football clubs. On 20 April, after two days of widespread backlash from the United Kingdom government including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, FIFA, UEFA, the FA, other Premier League clubs, supporters, players, and broadcasters, and after Chairman Bruce Buck met with players, Chelsea announced their intention to withdraw from the competition. This led to the five other English clubs all pulling out later that night. By 21 April, the Super League announced it was suspending its operations.

On 20 April, Chelsea played out a 0–0 home draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, losing some ground in the top four race. Four days later, the Blues defeated West Ham United 1–0 away, with a Timo Werner goal sealing the win for Chelsea. Chelsea's final match of April was against Real Madrid away in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Chelsea took the lead through Christian Pulisic, but Karim Benzema equalised for Real Madrid later in the first half, as the match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Chelsea entering the second leg at home a crucial away goal.

May

Chelsea's first fixture of May saw them defeat West London rivals Fulham 2–0, thanks to a brace from Kai Havertz. On 5 May, Chelsea welcomed Real Madrid to Stamford Bridge for the second leg of their semi-final, with the score being level at 1–1 and Chelsea heading into the match with an away goal. Timo Werner gave Chelsea the lead in the 28th minute, before a late tap-in from Mason Mount booked Chelsea their place in the Champions League Final in Istanbul. Their win set up an all-English affair after Manchester City had secured their maiden appearance in the final the day before, defeating Paris Saint-Germain over two legs.

Chelsea's next match in the Premier League was against their Champions League final opponents, Manchester City, at the Etihad Stadium. Raheem Sterling scored first for the Citizens 44 minutes in, with Sergio Agüero having a penalty saved by Édouard Mendy just before half-time. Hakim Ziyech scored the equaliser for the Blues in the 63rd minute, before a stoppage-time goal from Marcos Alonso saw Chelsea run out 2–1 winners, as Thomas Tuchel made it two consecutive victories against Pep Guardiola. Next, Chelsea took on ninth-placed Arsenal at home, with Mikel Arteta's Gunners already enduring a poor season. Chelsea were shockingly defeated 1–0, with a poor back pass from Jorginho allowing Emile Smith Rowe to score the winner for Arsenal, with Christian Pulisic also having a goal disallowed by VAR due to a handball. This was the first time had Chelsea had lost to Arsenal at home in nearly a decade, since a 3–5 defeat in October 2011.

On 15 May, Chelsea faced Leicester City in the FA Cup Final, which was Chelsea's first chance of winning silverware this season. It was a frustrating game for Tuchel's Blues, as they were denied by Kasper Schmeichel multiple times throughout the game, with a Youri Tielemans stunner in the 63rd minute putting Leicester 1–0 up. Chelsea thought they had found their equaliser through Ben Chilwell in the 88th minute, but was ruled out by VAR for offside, as the Foxes won their first ever FA Cup and Chelsea had lost the FA Cup Final for the second straight year. Chelsea had an immediate rematch against Leicester City three days later in the Premier League, with goals from Antonio Rüdiger and Jorginho giving Chelsea a 2–1 victory and strengthening their top four hopes, while leaving Leicester's Champions League hopes in danger. Chelsea's final Premier League match of the season saw them travel to Birmingham to face Aston Villa, on 23 May. Chelsea would go on to lose 2–1, but still finished fourth and secured their place in next season's Champions League, as elsewhere, Leicester City lost to Tottenham Hotspur.

On 29 May, Chelsea faced Manchester City in the Champions League Final. It was the third time in Chelsea's 116-year history that they had competed in the Champions League final, losing against Manchester United in 2008 and defeating Bayern Munich in 2012. Chelsea went into the match as the underdogs, similarly to 2012, and defeated Manchester City 1–0 to win the Champions League, with Kai Havertz's goal in the first-half goal sealing Chelsea's second Champions League title. Chelsea became the third English club to win the Champions League multiple times, after Liverpool (2005, 2019) and Manchester United (1999, 2008).

Final league position