Trevoh Chalobah believes Chelsea should enjoy their Champions League campaign after “fighting” for a place in the competition last season.
The Blues secured their place among Europe’s elite teams with a win against Nottingham Forest on the final day of the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Enzo Maresca’s side have won two of their three Champions League games this season, lost to Bayern Munich in the opening match and face a trip to Qarabag on Wednesday.
Including the Club World Cup, Chelsea have won 20 of 23 matches in international competition under Maresca (not including qualifying matches), scoring at least once in all 23 matches and scoring an average of 2.9 goals per match (66 scored in total).
Chalobah stressed that Chelsea must make the most of the reward of reaching the Champions League, including against Qarabag.
“We played well against Bayern, which was not reflected in the result, but that is the level we want to be at,” Chalobah told the club website.
“We had moments where we knew we could match them, but it was tough. You could clearly see the quality. We go into every game knowing it will be difficult.”
“The Champions League is where we want to be. This is what we fought for last season. Now we have to grab it with both hands and enjoy it. Hopefully it will be a good ride.”
Tuesday session. pic.twitter.com/BFa9kZZ3wp
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“Every game will be tough, so we have to be ready for that. If that is the case, then we have to be ready for that.” [Qarabag] qualified for the Champions League, it’s something big. It means they have done very well to get where they are today.
“The Champions League is where we want to be at Chelsea and this is where we want to stay, so we have to show the level.”
After beating FC Copenhagen in their previous Champions League home match (2-0), Qarabag will attempt to win back-to-back home games in a major European competition in the same season for the first time.
Maresca believes his Chelsea should not underestimate the task ahead, especially when he is away from home.
He said: “It will be a tough game for many reasons. As a team they are very good, they beat Benfica and Copenhagen and are a very intense team because of the way they press.
“They have been working with the same manager for many, many years. At home they are more intense. It will be a tough match.”
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