Chelsea captain Reece James enjoyed the evidence of the Blues' Champions League Doubters wrong after their huge 1-0 win over Manchester United on Friday.
James played a crucial role in the only purpose of the game, tidy before he gave the cross for Marc Cucurella to go home the winner in the 71st minute.
The result turned out to be a crucial after the victory of Aston Villa op Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day, with Chelsea to the fourth, level at points with the Unai Emery team.
Chelsea is one of the three teams at 66 points, although Newcastle United has a match against Arsenal on Sunday, with the blues opposite Nottingham Forest on the last day.
James is the only player who remains in the Chelsea team who was part of their Champions League success in 2020-21 and believes that the club belongs to the European Elite.
“I think that is where the club belongs, in the Champions League. Competing in the best matches,” said James.
“People like to write to us and call us inexperienced. We played against a very experienced united team today.
“We were there and we won the game. We have what we had to do.”
If Chelsea seals a top five finish this season, it will take their impressive form on Stamford Bridge since the turn of the year.
The blues remain unbeaten in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in 2025, won eight and draw two of the 10 games.
They have won more points this calendar year on home (26) than any other side, and Chelsea -Baas Enzo Maresca believed that his team deserved their latest victory.
“It was quite confident because I know how difficult it is to play against United,” Maresca told Sky Sports.
“We expected a very tough game. They played very well. I was completely sure. In general, it was a game where we could have a good time and score a goal.
“I used to watch five, six, seven games when we played against a team. I've never watched them [Man Utd] So aggressive – they were man to man, and it was very difficult.
“I think we have played a fantastic game from the ball. The team was very aggressive until the end. We tried to press higher and I think we deserved to win the game.
“It's nice to work on some solutions, and then you score.”
And the newest home success from Chelsea was granted by Cucurella, who yielded his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Indeed, all six of Cucurella's Premier League objectives have been on a home floor (one for Brighton, five for Chelsea).
In the Premier League history, only Clive Wilson (nine), Jeff Kenna and Ronny Johnsen (both eight) scored more goals with 100% of those who came home.
But apart from personal glory, Cucurella was present to emphasize the need for Champions League football, while he also believed that something special was building in Chelsea.
“It's very important [to get Champions League]. Step by step we create something special and now there are only two games left to achieve something special, “he added.
“The most important thing is that it depends on us, so we have to play the game on Sunday, and then we think of the [Conference League] final.
“Today is a time to enjoy because we work for these moments all season, so now we have ambitions to achieve these things.”