Andreas Christensen is aware of the positive feeling around the club following our recent European successes, and the defender wants to help ensure that momentum is maintained as we head into a busy spell of fixtures.
The Blues are in action every three or four days until the October international break as the defence of our Champions League crown begins, as well as the start of our Carabao Cup campaign. With two wins, an impressive draw at Anfield when Christensen was outstanding, and the Super Cup victory already to our name in 2021/22, the Danish defender knows Chelsea could be on to something special.
‘Everyone is hungry to keep riding the wave we have built since the Champions League win,’ he said.
‘Everyone is looking in the same direction. We have had a good start in the Premier League and everyone is looking forward to keep going.
‘We are a great team, we know that, but we are still trying to learn and trying to get that perfection in the team. We enjoy coming in to train every day and learning. We are trying to stay humble and to keep working. We have to work so hard to maintain everything we have built so far.’
The first challenge since the international break comes in the form of an Aston Villa side we couldn’t get the better of in two league games last season. They are one of only three teams, along with West Brom and Arsenal, to have beaten Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea in the Premier League.
‘They are a club with a great history,’ noted Christensen.
‘They are playing with a lot of energy. We have to be prepared for that. We have to match that to get the win, and if we do, we have a good chance of winning with our quality.’
Tuchel heaped praise on Christensen after the draw at Anfield, describing the 25-year-old as ‘very strong and super talented’, and emphasising how he is ‘growing every week in confidence and personality’.
‘It means I’ve done something right!’ was Christensen’s reaction to those positive words from his boss.
‘It’s something I can work with, take with me and keep working hard to try and get better. I know what kind of football he likes. I just try to listen to him and do what he wants, and be myself, play my game.
‘I’m mentally stronger now, and not as vulnerable to everything around it. I’m enjoying my football right now and that’s when my mind works the best.’