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Chelsea turned a season of turmoil into the ultimate triumph as Kai Havertz\u2019s ice-cool finish sunk Manchester City 1-0 to swipe Champions League glory in Porto.<\/p>\nChelsea turned a season of turmoil into the ultimate triumph as Kai Havertz\u2019s ice-cool finish sunk Manchester City 1-0 to swipe Champions League glory in Porto.<\/p>\n
Mason Mount\u2019s inch-perfect assist stunned domestic double-winners City at the Estadio do Dragao, as Chelsea claimed their second Champions League title to etch boss Thomas Tuchel\u2019s name into the Stamford Bridge annals.<\/p>\n
Kevin De Bruyne suffered a facial injury on a wretched night for the stellar Belgium star, who will be an immediate injury doubt for the European Championships.<\/p>\n
Pep Guardiola fielded a surprise pivotless midfield in a bid to catch out Tuchel and the Blues, but the move backfired and City paid the toughest price.<\/p>\n
When Chelsea paid Bayer Leverkusen \u00a370 million for Havertz last summer eyebrows were raised in some quarters, but Chelsea were convinced of the 21-year-old\u2019s pure talent.<\/p>\n
And now the classy forward has ended a testing campaign that included a battle with Covid-19 with a goal of the utmost quality \u2013 on the highest stage and at the perfect time.<\/p>\n
In just 124 days Tuchel has transformed Frank Lampard\u2019s muddled men into mean tactical machines \u2013 and champions of Europe.<\/p>\n
Guardiola has spent five years honing City for European dominance, but that frustrating wait goes on.<\/p>\n
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss last won the Champions League in 2011, the year before Chelsea\u2019s first European triumph.<\/p>\n
Guardiola will keep grinding, but Tuchel has quickly built up something of an Indian sign over City\u2019s Catalan coach.<\/p>\n
Chelsea\u2019s third win over City in six weeks clearly ranks most highly, but also cements Tuchel\u2019s arrival as a genuine tactical master.<\/p>\n
The 47-year-old arrived from Paris St Germain in January with a fiery reputation, but has reinvented himself as a taskmaster with a joyful spirit and a tendency to tease the best from his players.<\/p>\n
Tuchel insisted he did not fear the brevity of his 18-month contract on his arrival at Chelsea, admitting even a five-year deal would not save his skin should he underperform.<\/p>\n
Such candid talk \u2013 always delivered with a reassuring smile \u2013 has proved a breath of fresh air for Chelsea\u2019s entire set-up, from boardroom to boot room.<\/p>\n
Just as in Munich nine years ago, so now Chelsea had to battle for Champions League glory the hard way.<\/p>\n
For that breakthrough triumph in 2012, Andre Villas-Boas had to fall on his sword before Roberto Di Matteo could oversee a stunning penalties victory over Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n
Jump forward all but a decade, and again the Blues are champions of Europe \u2013 in another season where two men have taken the Stamford Bridge helm.<\/p>\n
Former boss Lampard will sit back somewhere with a wry smile at tonight\u2019s events, doubtless delighted for his club \u2013 but also surely with regrets not to be in the dugout.<\/p>\n
The 41-year-old was a central character in that seminal 2012 victory, and had started this season as a Chelsea boss desperate to build a lasting managerial legacy.<\/p>\n
Lampard failed to blend the \u00a3220 million-worth of summer transfer talent though, and paid with his job in January.<\/p>\n
And so in came Tuchel, the demanding and discerning former Paris St Germain boss, on a clear brief to generate immediate results.<\/p>\n
The spectacular transformation has owed as much to sharp tactical acumen as shrewd people management.<\/p>\n
Any fears of a tight affair were immediately dispelled at the top of the night.<\/p>\n
Timo Werner missed his first of two sitters when Havertz cut back to him in the area, while Ben Chilwell had to conjure a full-stretch clearance at the other end.<\/p>\n
Werner\u2019s second miss was almost a bigger let-off for City than the first, as the Germany striker overran Havertz\u2019s inside ball, muddled up his feet and scuffed a low-power effort for an easy Ederson save.<\/p>\n
Toni Rudiger pulled off a stunning block on Phil Foden, and Riyad Mahrez missed Kyle Walker\u2019s cutback entirely.<\/p>\n
Just when the half looked to peter out goalless though, Mount spun on the ball on the left wing and delivered the killer long-range through-ball for Havertz.<\/p>\n
Werner raced out to the left to create the space, Havertz ghosted through and nicked the ball around the fast-advancing Ederson \u2013 before tapping into the empty net.<\/p>\n
Chelsea had lost influential center-back Thiago Silva to a groin injury just past the half-hour, but Andreas Christensen settled quickly. And the Blues were good value for their 1-0 half-time lead.<\/p>\n
Guardiola resisted the temptation to make any half-time changes, and while City pushed higher upfield N\u2019Golo Kante produced a stunning cover tackle on an increasingly frustrated De Bruyne.<\/p>\n
The Belgium star\u2019s night went from bad to much, much worse moments later, when colliding with Rudiger. After lengthy treatment the ex-Chelsea playmaker trudged off in tears, with a possible broken cheekbone.<\/p>\n
Guardiola eventually gave up the ghost on his pivot-free midfield just past the hour, with Fernandinho replacing Bernardo Silva.<\/p>\n
Christian Pulisic had a golden chance to cement Chelsea\u2019s advantage when played in by Havertz, only to scythe his dinked effort well wide.<\/p>\n
Guardiola\u2019s men refused to give up though, cajoling again and again, and moving the ball in their neat patterns.<\/p>\n
An age-long seven minutes of added time left Chelsea players and fans biting nails alike, and Mahrez so nearly equalized with a snap shot at the very, very last.<\/p>\n
But the ball sailed just wide, and Chelsea were champions of Europe again.<\/p>\n