Chilwell makes huge Champions League claim before Chelsea's "revenge" mission
Ben Chilwell says winning tomorrow’s EFL Cup final will have a bigger impact on Chelsea than their Champions League triumph three years ago.
The left back is one of only three members in Mauricio Pochettino ’s squad who featured in the club’s second European triumph against Manchester City, alongside Thiago Silva and Reece James.
And such has been the scale of upheaval at Stamford Bridge since then, Chilwell believes lifting a trophy that tends to carry less weight will matter more as the new Chelsea establishes its identity.
“The prestige of the Champions League is obviously higher but I’d say this is arguably more important in terms of where the club is now,” Chilwell says. “With the group we have, such a new and young group, where there has been ups and downs this season, to get this one as a team and as a staff and with the fans, it would be massive for the club.
“It arguably would be bigger than the Champions League, not in prestige but in the direction we want the club to go. I think this arguably is more important.”
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Chilwell, 27, will captain the side in James’ continued absence with injury and the ex-Leicester man admits he is still getting used to being a leader. He feels the transformation from promising youngster to wise old head has happened overnight, though there are moments at the training ground “where I actually do feel old.”
As a bridge between the past and present, Chilwell wants to convey “why silverware is so important” but he is wary of piling too much pressure on those still finding their feet.
“When I joined we had a lot of leaders here,” he says. “We knew the standards. As a new player I knew what was expected in training or in a game. As a senior player I have to take on that role of setting the standards every day.
“When you join the club there’s a lot of outside noise that Chelsea wins, and in the past has won, a lot of trophies. It’s not something that we need to be drilling into the boys as well. It’s more the levels and the standards that are required. As soon as that’s nailed, with the talent that we have, the trophies will follow.”
Ben Chilwell applauds the Chelsea fans following the semi-final win over Middlesbrough. (Darren Walsh)Another part of becoming a senior figure is being one of the players Pochettino turns to when it is time to dish out harsh criticism - including last week when he was unable to find Raheem Sterling with a pass away to Man City.
“There were 60,000 people in the ground and I still heard him from the touchline,” Chilwell says. "I have always been that character, I feel like sometimes I need it. I welcome it too. It doesn’t fire me up, I just expect it if I am not up to standard in training or in matches. I wouldn’t want to be able to get away with it. I don’t welcome it but I accept it.”
Chilwell is also driven by pay back this weekend after losing both domestic cup finals to Jurgen Klopp ’s side in 2022. “Personally, it’s massive for me. We want to get revenge,” he adds. “It doesn't get much bigger than a cup final at Wembley. For the team in general, if we can get that first trophy it can give us the confidence, drive and hunger to get more.”
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