10 Things for Chelsea Fans to Look Forward to in 2015
After being thumped 5-3 by Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day, Chelsea fans could be forgiven for thinking 2015 may well prove a year to forget.
A week is a long time in football, however, and now the dust has settled on that defeat, an FA Cup victory over Watford has helped lighten the mood around Stamford Bridge.
Despite some inconsistent form at the end, 2014 finished strongly for Jose Mourinho's side and the coming 12 months promises to dish up plenty more delights for Chelsea fans.
Bleacher Report looks at 10 highlights that are awaiting over the horizon.
The Winter Transfer Window...
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Yes, yes, we know, it's silly season.
The transfer window throws up all sorts of rumours, as players and agents look to engineer moves or use the biggest clubs to get a better deal with their current employers.
It really is a merry-go-round, and with their status, Chelsea are never too far from the headlines.
Admit it, though, it's as exciting as it is frustrating when some of the biggest stars are being linked with your club.
...and Arrival of Lionel Messi Along the King's Road
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Following on from our first slide, yes, you've guessed it, Chelsea are being linked with all sorts of players this January.
If you believe the papers, Lionel Messi could very well be making the King's Road his home.
The Barcelona maestro has a £200 million release clause, and with arguments from the boardroom level down threatening to cut Barca apart, The Independent is suggesting Messi's move to Stamford Bridge could become a reality.
Will it be in January or the summer? Nobody really knows, but right now, it's getting the newspapers excited.
Can Chelsea fans expect to see Messi in blue in 2015?
The Return of Frank Lampard to Stamford Bridge...
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Mark the date in your diary—Saturday, January 31.
Now it's been confirmed that Frank Lampard will remain a Manchester City player until the end of the season, that's the day Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer will return to Stamford Bridge.
It's going to be an emotional day when every Chelsea fan in attendance will have mixed feelings.
On one hand, they will be eager to get one over their former hero as he competes against Chelsea in the Premier League title race; on the other, they will want to give him the send off he never got at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea legends don't come much bigger than Lampard, and it promises to be an amazing occasion.
...Followed by David Luiz's Homecoming with Paris Saint-Germain
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Frank Lampard isn't alone in getting a surprise return to Stamford Bridge this season.
Soon after Lampard has featured for Manchester City, David Luiz will follow in his footsteps when Paris Saint-Germain are back in town for their Champions League matchup with Chelsea.
Only last season were these sides paired together in Europe, so it promises to be an exciting tie, as the Ligue 1 champions attempt to exact revenge for last year's defeat.
Luiz was in the Chelsea side back then, but after a £50 million move to France in the summer, he is now a PSG player.
He doesn't carry the same status as Lampard, but Luiz was still cherished by Chelsea fans. He embraced English culture and will relish one more meeting with the fans he calls his "geezers."
Another Cup Semi-Final Encounter with Fierce Rivals Liverpool
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Chelsea ruined Liverpool's dreams of winning the Premier League last season, and the Reds are now plotting to end the Blues' hopes of silverware.
Both teams meet in the two-legged Capital One Cup semi-final in January.
These games are always heated affairs, but with a place at Wembley on the line, expect the temperature to be turned up a notch.
Given how their season has gone so far, the Capital One Cup represents one of Liverpool's best chances of winning a trophy this season, and they'll enjoy putting one over Jose Mourinho in another semi-final.
However, Mourinho relishes occasions like this, and he'll have Chelsea pumped.
Brace yourselves.
Frank Lampard Joining New York City FC... Finally!
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He's already cropped up in this slideshow, but Frank Lampard deserves one more mention.
Come the end of the season, it's expected he'll finally make the move to New York City FC.
And when he does, Chelsea fans can go back to loving him and remembering what a great player he was for them.
Lampard moving to New York will end all the tiresome of talk of mistakes being made by Jose Mourinho in not offering him a new contract and whether he should remain in England.
Chelsea fans can pretend it was all a nightmare.
A New Contract for John Terry
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He's arguably playing better now than he has for a long while.
And by that measure, there's no way Chelsea are going to allow John Terry to leave the club. Not yet.
Now 34, when Terry leaves Chelsea it'll probably be the end of his career, but he's showing there is plenty of life in him yet.
Indeed, Jose Mourinho thinks so.
"There are no doubts that he is going to get another contract,” Mourinho stated after the recent 2-0 victory over West Ham United, per The Guardian. He continued:
"I know that, he knows that. We in the club, in the board, we all know that and I think, also, you have to feel that. Without us confirming anything you have to feel that. He’s a very important player in the team so the next contract, sooner or later, will come. It’s a formality.
"
Well, that's that then.
A Proper Premier League Title Challenge
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We're just past the Premier League's halfway point and, like they have done since the opening weekend, Chelsea are leading the way.
Unlike recent years, when they have flattered to deceive, this is a team showing they are more than ready to go all the way.
Chelsea have strength across the squad, and while Manchester City are pushing them close—indeed, so close that only the alphabet currently separates them at the top—Jose Mourinho's side are going to be there until the final day.
Not since 2009/10 have we seen Chelsea mount a title challenge with the belief they can emerge victorious.
Well, now they're back. Enjoy.
The Emergence of Youth
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We have already seen Dominic Solanke and Ruben Loftus-Cheek make their debuts in the Champions League this season.
Both are products of the Chelsea academy. With plenty more coming through, we can expect to see some more young faces at Stamford Bridge.
Lewis Baker has been on the bench on numerous occasions this season, while Izzy Brown continues to score goals for the under-21s. Then, there is Andreas Christensen and Nathan Ake, who is the more established young star.
Chelsea have these players lurking, waiting for their chance. Surely it's only a matter of time before Jose Mourinho gives it to them.
Bidding Didier Drogba Farewell: Properly This Time!
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There have been a couple of welcomes and goodbyes already mentioned here. One of the biggest of them all will be Didier Drogba's final game for Chelsea.
The imposing striker will turn 37 in March, and while he continues to impress in a Chelsea shirt, it's difficult to imagine him playing on beyond this season.
His last game for Chelsea was supposed to be the 2012 Champions League final, in which he scored the penalty that secured the Blues the trophy.
He got a hero's reception in Munich, but nothing beats getting a final send off in front of a home crowd.
Chelsea play Sunderland at home on the last day of the 2014/15 campaign. With a potential Premier League title on the cards, Drogba may well get the goodbye he missed out on three years ago.
It will be glorious.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained first-hand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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