Chelsea’s hectic season comes down to final mad month

Chelsea are into the Champions League semi finals, and this season is suddenly coming into focus.

It doesn’t feel long ago that we were just starting out on this mammoth campaign, watching new signings take to the pitch for the first time.

Now the Blues are into the crucial month of the whole thing. The next 30 days see us in a battle to win 4th spot, an FA Cup semi final, and two legs of a European tie that could put us back into the final for the first time since 2012.

Anyone gambling on the Blues’ success this season might have struggled to make sense of the results. A 17 game unbeaten run under Frank Lampard, then a devastating tailspin of losses, a new manager, another winning run, a shock loss to West Brom. It’s had it all. Read about our new casino guide here, but don’t expect it to help you predict the results of the next months.

Thomas Tuchel could feasibly end a season in which he was sacked with a Champions League and FA Cup double, as well as an impressive Premier League record after he turned our domestic form around.

On the other hand, we’re outsiders against Manchester City this weekend and nobody would be surprised if we lost to Real Madrid in the European Cup semi finals later this month. A couple of bad results in the league on top of that, and we’d be left totally empty handed after all.

It’s a stressful place to be in, but that’s what football is all about. The next few weeks will see a flurry of games, formations, rotations and reactions. Some players will probably secure their long-term future at Stamford Bridge as Tuchel really gets to know who he can count on. Others will likely seal their departure.

It’s all still to play for, which is pretty much all a football fan can ask for as they head towards May. We wanted to compete with the big boys this season after a year of development and recovery under Lampard last time, and we’ve already achieved that goal. Even if we don’t add to the trophy cabinet this time, we’re right back with the big boys where we belong, and this season can be considered a success even if the last few games leave us just short of true glory.

The next step is on Saturday against City: we’re already counting down the hours until kick off.