Chelsea were well represented in the latter stages of Euro 2020, and the experience those international players gained could be priceless going forward.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will have been keeping a close eye on proceedings at the European Championships as the German tactician plots out his strategy to challenge for the Premier League title this season.
Tuchel Will be Impressed With Italian Job
Euro 2020 winners Italy earned plenty of plaudits for how they went about winning the nation’s second European title this summer. Jorginho was highlighted as one of the players of the tournament, as his commanding presence in midfield allowed Italy’s attacking stars to go forward and shine. Chelsea, who are 9/2 in the English Premier League odds to win the title, have in Jorginho a player who will continue to make a formidable partnership with France’s N’Golo Kante in the middle of the pitch. That pairing of Jorginho and Kante would arguably walk into most teams in the Premier League right now.
One man who might not have expected to start the Euro 2020 final was Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri.
The 26-year-old found himself thrust into action after an unfortunate injury to Roma star Leonardo Spinazzola. Emerson took his opportunity eagerly and now he will be pushing England’s Ben Chilwell hard for the starting role at left-back.
Mount Comes of Age With England
It was only a couple of seasons ago that Mason Mount was playing out on loan with Derby County in the Championship. Since then, the attacking midfielder has made himself a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge, won the Champions League, and taken his country to their first major final for 55 years.
It really has been a steep rise for Mount and the 22-year-old will be seeking to deliver consistently strong performances in the Premier League this season.
As for Chelsea’s other England internationals, Chilwell will be disappointed he didn’t get any minutes in the competition, while Reece James only featured in one match. Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate stuck to largely the same XI throughout the competition, meaning that chances were limited for those on the bench.
Inspirational Danes
Few would have expected Denmark to reach the semi-final stages of the European Championships, but the Danes were certainly one of the surprise packages at the competition. Andreas Christensen was a key figure in defence for the Scandinavian outfit, who gave England a scare at Wembley in the semi-finals before losing in extra time.
Christensen, like Emerson, is another player who will have given Tuchel something to think about, and will be hoping to get much more game time in the Premier League this season.
Honourable mentions to Chelsea stars from other nations include captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who was a penalty shootout away from taking Spain to the final. In addition, Kai Havertz was a standout performer for Germany, despite Die Mannschaft only reaching the Round of 16 before a 2-0 defeat to England.
Euro 2020 has certainly given Tuchel plenty to think about, and strong competition for places can only be good news for Chelsea, as they go in search of a sixth Premier League title this season.
