The success Chelsea have enjoyed since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 is remarkable.
There have been five Premier League titles and the same number of FA Cups. The Champions League has twice been lifted, as has its sibling the Europa League. On three occasions, the Blues have claimed the League Cup while there have also been two wins in the Community Shield and one in the UEFA Super Cup.
For those not keeping count, Chelsea have lifted 20 trophies in just 19 years. No other English club has lifted more trophies over the same period.
Yet one has eluded the Blues: the Club World Cup. This afternoon, Thomas Tuchel and his players have the opportunity to change that and deliver the one piece of silverware missing from the trophy cabinet at Stamford Bridge.
That will not be easy, however. Brazilian club Palmeiras, who won the Copa Libertadores in November, are desperate to win the competition, to become the first South American side to return victorious from the Club World Cup since 2012.
“Tomorrow’s match is one I am thankful to be involved in, our players as well," Palmeiras head coach Abel Ferreira stated yesterday.
"We will be confident on the pitch and our goal is to win. There is no other way to look at this match. One thing I have with me, and I’ve had with me for a long time, if I want to be the best, I have to beat the best.”
Chelsea received a pre-final boost with the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in Abu Dhabi ahead of the game. The Blues head coach had been in self-isolation having tested positive for Covid on February 4.
However, he has since returned negative PCR tests and is expected to take his place on the touchline for today's clash at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.
Tuchel and the Chelsea coaching staff will not find it easy to select their starting XI. All 23 members of the squad registered for the competition are fit and there are difficult decisions to make across the pitch.
Perhaps the biggest is who starts in goal. Over the past month, Kepa Arrizabalaga has showcased his renewed confidence in the absence of Edouard Mendy and was key in Chelsea overcoming Al Hilal in the semi-final.
However, Mendy returned from winning the African Cup of Nations with Senegal on Wednesday morning and has trained over the previous two days. Given his importance and status as the club's number one, it's likely the 29-year-old is given the nod for the final.
"He arrives in a very good mood and always has a big smile on his face," Low said at Chelsea's pre-match press conference yesterday. "He's very important to the group. He gives a lot of energy.
"He was a little tired the first day, needed recovery and a night of good sleep, but he is fully involved in training. We're very happy that he's healthy and absolutely in good shape with a good experience behind him. He's ready to play the game."
The other big call Tuchel and his coaching team have to make is whether Chelsea set up in their favoured 3-4-2-1 system or go with a back four, something that was experimented with in January.
It's likely Tuchel goes with what he trusts most and that would almost certainly mean a back three which includes Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
At right wing-back, Cesar Azpilicueta should get the nod. On the opposite flank, with Ben Chilwell ruled out, Marcos Alonso is the obvious choice despite his lack of form over the past two months.
In the double six will be two of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante. And given his rusty display against Al Hilal, it might be the Frenchman who misses out, although that would be a huge call on Tuchel's part.
Hakim Ziyech has been in good form in recent games and should keep his spot on the right of the front three. Romelu Lukaku will occupy the number nine role and then it's a toss-up who starts on the left between Mason Mount and Kai Havertz.
It may well be the German gets the starting spot ahead of the academy graduate as Low highlighted in his pre-match press conference the on-pitch relationship Havertz appears to have struck with Lukaku.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Lukaku, Havertz.
