Roll up for the Chelsea Season Preview 2025/26, that includes switch insanity, nice expectations what we’ll see this season on the Bridge…
FourFourTwo’s Chelsea Season Preview 2025/26
FFT’s view
The plan
Chelsea are again the place they belong, however getting there was removed from clean. Enzo Maresca & Co crawled over the end line, by no means wanting convincing however delivering a top-four end nonetheless. With Champions League soccer again at Stamford Bridge, each stakes and pressure are greater.
LAST SEASON
PREMIER LEAGUE 4th
FA CUP Fourth Spherical
LEAGUE CUP Fourth Spherical
CONFERENCE LEAGUE Winners
TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Cole Palmer (15)
Final 12 months’s Convention League allowed squad rotation and risk-taking alternatives resembling Tyrique George. Now? It’s a dash throughout 4 fronts and Chelsea’s younger, bloated squad – which is able to solely swell additional as Todd Boehly disrupts himself into knots – face elite exams twice every week. Progress should be seen, and performances should have chew. Cease promoting the challenge; begin to justify it.
The Coach
Enzo Maresca continues to be studying. There’s tactical nous in flashes, and Reece James’ half-time entrance within the Convention League closing modified the sport, however Chelsea followers, who crave charisma and certainty, contemplate him to be removed from elite. The jury’s nonetheless out in SW6.
Key Participant
Every part flows by way of Cole Palmer – objectives, assists, tempo. However he wants to remain central, actually and figuratively. Don’t overthink it, Enzo: construct round him or watch the entire thing unravel. The Blues have been horrible to look at throughout the laconic 23-year-old’s 18-game drought.
Lesson From Final Yr
Chelsea flirted with one thing large within the first half of 2024/25, solely to faceplant when it mattered. By mid-December, they have been inside shouting distance of Liverpool, however fell aside with two wins in 10 as much as late February.
FFT’S SEASON PREVIEW
This preview initially appeared in FourFourTwo’s Season Preview problem which went on sale in July, out there right here with free supply
If the Blues intend to be taken critically once more frequently, within the bread and butter of the Premier League, they need to use their come-from-behind defeat of Actual Betis within the closing of the Convention League as proof of an improved resilience. Chelsea are high-quality front-runners already, having gained 20 of the 26 video games through which they led; now they need to discover ways to win ugly and transfer the ball a lot faster towards serried low-block defences.
The Temper
Muted optimism, at greatest. The followers are unconvinced by the possession and Maresca’s safety-first techniques, even when the latter means they concede the fewest large possibilities within the prime flight. A trophy placated sabre-rattlers, however they’ll return if a Membership World Cup hangover units in for an exhausted squad who completed their 2024/25 as others began pre-season for ’25/26.
One To Watch
Liam Delap. The tip of each Chelsea’s ending woes and the cursed No.9 shirt? Perhaps. The 22-year-old is uncooked however ruthless, and hot-headed Nicolas Jackson continues to be streaky, so Chelsea would possibly simply have the line-leading bulldozer they’ve craved since Didier Drogba. Match-again Romeo Lavia, nonetheless solely 21, appears a supreme midfield conduit.
Most Probably To…
Do a Spurs, lurching between disaster and silverware, the underside half and European trophy parade plans.
Least Probably To…
Choose a goalkeeper – Boehly has wanged £85m on half a dozen of them however will seemingly store once more. Robert Sanchez made 5 errors resulting in objectives: a league ‘excessive’.
FFT Verdict
5TH New faces Delap and Joao Pedro add risk to a profligate assault that lurches between mini-crises.
The Quantity Cruncher
The Fan View
Do Chelsea have what it takes to mount a title problem? We get the view from the stands from Chas Early and Mouch Michaels of the Chelsea Podcast…
This season can be totally different as a result of Maresca can’t use the primary two BlueCo seasons as a yardstick any extra. He has to measure as much as his personal (relative) success.
I gained’t be joyful until we play with extra depth and move the ball forwards extra usually.
Our key participant can be Moises Caicedo, one of many world’s greatest defensive midfielders. However he performs lots. Can we preserve him match?
Our most underrated participant is Trevoh Chalobah – by the possession.
Look out for the assured Josh Acheampong. He was nice in final season’s Convention League.
The opposition participant who grinds my gears is Virgil van Dijk. I simply assume he’s vastly overrated.
The lively participant I’d like to have again is most likely Thibaut Courtois, sadly. We have to type out our goalkeeping scenario.
A social media account to comply with is @1JamesCHELSEA on X for retro match content material, or @dmitry.mclachbot on Bluesky for stats evaluation.
I’m least wanting ahead to enjoying Liverpool at Anfield. Our report there actually isn’t nice.
The pantomime villain can be our ‘sporting administrators’ Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.
Followers assume our proprietor is clueless about soccer.
Followers assume our gaffer is again in our good books after getting us again to Europe’s prime desk and successful the Convention League, however his techniques and behavior have alienated many.
We’ll end 4th once more.
This preview initially appeared in FourFourTwo’s Season Preview problem which went on sale in July, out there right here with free supply
