Guardian writers’ predicted position: 3rd (NB: this is not necessarily Billy Munday’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 10th Prospects After a season of struggle and regression, with two head coaches and two spells under a caretaker, there is cautious optimism that this campaign will bring something like stability. Much of that optimism centres around the appointment of Xabi Alonso, an elite manager with something to prove. There is also an expectation that the young players brought in as part of BlueCo’s £1.8bn splurge in recent years are beginning to come into their best years. There is no European football to complicate the schedule and a return to the Champions League by finishing in the top four or five would suffice for now. More importance will be placed on the domestic cups after a season without trophies. Alonso’s squad is more rounded than what Enzo Maresca or Liam Rosenior had at their disposal. Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers bring quality to positions where Chelsea were lacking it – at centre-back and out wide. Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson – the “uncs” as Tosin Adarabioyo has called them – will contribute as much off the pitch
as on it. The signing of Marco Palestra, a specialist wing-back, suggests Alonso wants to be tactically flexible. He has used a back four and a back three in pre-season. What about Cole Palmer? For so much of his time at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s form has been tied to his. When he has struggled to be 100% fit, the team have suffered too. After being omitted from England’s World Cup squad, Palmer had a seven-week break and sought advice from a specialist on the groin injury that hampered him last season. “I got bored after six weeks,” Palmer said after returning for pre-season. “I was sat in Marbella thinking: ‘I want to go back in.’” With the prospect of linking up with Rogers and João Pedro, who has also had a good rest, Palmer has plenty of reasons to be excited. Past five seasons Off-field picture July ended with Chelsea being fined £10m and receiving a suspended transfer ban over multiple violations of transfer rules under the ownership of Roman Abramovich. An appeal from the club saved them from a six-point deduction. Chelsea were deemed compliant with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules for the three-year period ending in
2025 despite posting an English record £262.4m pre-tax loss for the 2024-25 season. They have not been cowed by failure to qualify for Europe and have spent over £300m on new signings. For the fourth year in a row, Chelsea look likely to start the season without a front-of-shirt sponsor. Owner-fan relationship Supporter protests against the ownership of Todd Boehly’s BlueCo have been a frequent sight on matchdays, including before May’s FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City . There have been reservations about the club’s youth-oriented transfer policy from the start and last season’s failings prompted the co-owner Behdad Eghbali to admit the need “to add more ready-made players” to the squad. Whether fans were expecting the arrivals of Welbeck and Henderson is another question. The introduction of a ticket ballot system for home games has also been unpopular with regular match-going supporters. The manager It was a bit of a coup for Chelsea to secure Alonso’s services this summer, especially given the Liverpool job was available. The Spaniard has a reputation to rebuild after his dream job at Real Madrid ended in the sack after six months. “I got a scar, now it is healed,” he said. Alonso’s
🔥 Handpicked Deals from Across Our Stores
Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.