Frank Lampard believes Chelsea can mount a serious assault on the Champions League this season and has backed their defence to give them the edge over their Premier League rivals.
The Blues are back in Europe's premier club competition after a year's hiatus, and will have to manage the demands of competing on multiple fronts once again.
But Lampard has been impressed with their recruitment this summer and thinks their solid defence - a luxury few other Premier League sides boast - can lay the foundations for an excellent campaign in Europe.
'I think they have the potential to go all the way. Defensively, Chelsea are as good as anybody,' he wrote in a column for the Evening Standard.
'The structure that Conte set up last season with three at the back clearly works as they won the title and they have added a few players in midfield.
'I know they lost Nemanja Matic but Tiemoue Bakayoko and Danny Drinkwater give them depth.
'When I look at the other English teams in the Champions League, some of them will struggle at the back, whereas Chelsea have a great base.
'After that it comes down to the attacking players being in form, so Chelsea have a lot to be optimistic about.'
Manchester United looked shaky at the back when they conceded twice against Stoke while Liverpool's back-line shipped five goals over the weekend, but Man City and Tottenham have both kept two clean sheets this term - more than Chelsea!
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