Under the new Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital era, Chelsea will look to achieve a lot more success than they did in the previous regime—their most successful period in history.
The Pensioners clinched third place last season, securing Champions League football as a result. They also bagged the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. However, the gap between them and the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City was massive on the points table and that is something Thomas Tuchel will look to bridge this season.
A lot will ride on how Tuchel manages to keep the off-field headlines away from the dressing room and gets the Chelsea players performing to the best of their ability.
Fixtures
Chelsea open their new season away to Frank Lampard’s Everton on August 6, with Tuchel keen to get a positive result at Goodison Park. A tough month continues with games against Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton.
The Blues begin September with a tricky home game against London rivals West Ham before facing the likes of Fulham and Liverpool. The first west London derby will be at the Brentford Community Stadium, while Tuchel’s men will lock horns with Manchester United, Brighton, Arsenal and Newcastle United between October and November.
After a six-week hiatus between mid-November and late December for the 2022 World Cup, Chelsea will resume their Premier League campaign with a clash against newcomers Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.
The west Londoners will end 2022 by visiting the newly-promoted Nottingham Forest before facing champions Manchester City on New Year’s Eve. Their first home game of 2023 will be against Crystal Palace. Notable fixtures against Liverpool, Tottenham, Leeds and Leicester City then follow before they welcome Man United to Stamford on April 22.
Tuchel’s Blues conclude the campaign with four difficult fixtures in May against Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Man City and Newcastle, hosting the latter on the final day of the season.
Transfer Business—Ins and Outs
Clearly, Chelsea would have been disappointed with their transfer business done so far. The acquisitions of Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly are brilliant pieces of business but there are still some gaping holes that need addressing, especially a traditional no.9 following the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan.
The Blues agreeing an initial £20 million fee with Aston Villa for midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is a smart move. Going by the rumours, they remain in the pursuit of Brighton’s Marc Cucurella, Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.
Ins—Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel Slonina.
Outs—Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Jake Clarke-Salter, Danny Drinkwater and Charly Musonda.
Key Player—Raheem Sterling
It has to be Raheem Sterling. He has arrived at Stamford Bridge off the back of a trophy-laden seven years with Man City, and his volumes of experience and winning mentality would richly benefit Tuchel’s side.
At 27, the English forward certainly has his best years ahead of him and given the success he has already tasted in the Premier League, Sterling represents a fantastic signing for the Blues.
Prediction
Chelsea finished third last season and will least harbour hopes of mounting a title challenge this term. But going by the transfer window and the pre-season they have had it will be a tough ask, although a lot can change in the next three weeks.
Kalidou Koulibaly will make the Pensioners defensively robust and more organised, and having his compatriot Edouard Mendy in goal should help a lot. The lack of ruthlessness in front of goal is a major problem Tuchel’s side could face again, with the onus on Raheem Sterling to offset the departure of Romelu Lukaku.
Thus, it is not surprising to see Chelsea scour Europe for a top centre-forward who can guarantee 20-25 goals. In addition, they also want a centre-back, wing-back and central midfielder, and if Boehly and co. fail to deliver Tuchel with the proposed targets, don’t be shocked to see Chelsea missing out on top four.
