Early signs suggest Chelsea will be strong contenders this season
Chelsea’s start to the season shows they are genuine title contenders.
With two wins from two Premier League games, and having won the Uefa Super Cup, it’s not surprising that the likes of bet365 have the Blues among the favourites to be top of the table in May.
Liverpool and champions Manchester City will of course be in the running as well, and Manchester United look even stronger than last season, but the early signs are that European Champions Chelsea could well be the team to beat. They’ll take some stopping, that’s for sure.
The solid foundation of Thomas Tuchel’s success is of course a cast-iron defence. Clean sheets have become the norm since the German took over in January and even top sides have found goals almost impossible to come by against Chelsea.
Antonio Rudiger, who seemed to be on his way out of the club prior to Tuchel’s appointment, has been re-established as a first-team regular in a back three which has worked brilliantly.
Cesar Azpilicueta has been effective either as a wing-back or right-sided centre-back, with Andreas Christensen and the experienced Thiago Silva also excelling in Tuchel’s system.
Strong in attack as well
What Chelsea lacked last season – a cutting edge up front – has been emphatically addressed with the return of Romelu Lukaku for a second spell at the Bridge.
It didn’t work out for the Belgian during his previous time with the club but he has since made a name for himself as one of the best strikers in Europe and his arrival back in SW6 is an ominous sign for Chelsea’s rivals.
Timo Werner’s struggles in front of goal were the Achilles heel of the team last season, whereas Lukaku provides pace, power and excellent hold-up play as well as goalscoring ability – and his debut against Arsenal on Sunday, when he scored in a 2-0 win, underlined how influential he is likely to be this season.
With the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic providing support for Lukaku in attack, it certainly can’t be said now that Chelsea are lacking up front.
Midfield engine room
Another major strength for Chelsea is the wealth of midfield options at Tuchel’s disposal. The fact a player of Billy Gilmour’s obvious ability has been loaned out in order for him to play first-team football tells its own story.
N’Golo Kante’s fitness has to be managed but he was back to his best last season and remains one of the best midfielders in the world, while Jorginho is also now regarded as one of the best in the business. With Mateo Kovacic also a very useful option for Tuchel, you would struggle to find a team with a stronger midfield.
With Gilmour and Conor Gallagher potentially adding to the mix further down the line, the future of Chelsea’s midfield looks bright beyond this season. And perhaps Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who looked the part prior to his injury can find some form. But in the short to medium term, Kante, Jorginho and Kovacic rule the roost.
