The signs are good as Chelsea look to upset the odds
Could Chelsea yet launch a serious challenge for the Premier League title this season? Some oddsmakers seem to think so.
Having lost talisman Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, and with an inexperienced new manager in Frank Lampard hampered by the Blues’ transfer ban, they were initially seen as unlikely to challenge at the top.
But they went into the international break with that perception beginning to change.
They are certainly big favourites to win their next game, at home to Newcastle, with one of the best online gambling sites in the UK, 22Bet.
Incidentally, you can get 25/4 on Chelsea’s struggling rivals Tottenham losing at home to Watford when the Premier League resumes.
Beyond then, it looks like it could be a campaign to remember for Chelsea despite the early-season gloom following the 4-0 defeat at Manchester United in their opening game.
The youngsters are delivering
That transfer ban looks a blessing in disguise as it has led to a raft of youngsters being given their chance to shine. And they’ve stepped up emphatically, with the likes of Tammy Abraham making their mark.
Abraham’s opener in the 4-1 win at Southampton was his eighth in the league this season and continued the brilliant form which led to him being recalled to the England squad.
He was joined in that squad by fellow academy products Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, who have been superb since being promoted to the first team by Lampard, having played under him on loan at Derby County last season.
Reece James has also caught the eye and with Callum Hudson-Odoi now back from injury – not to mention the slightly older Ruben Loftus-Cheek also on the comeback trail – the years of waiting for homegrown talent to emerge might soon seem a distant memory.
More to come
The exciting thing for Chelsea is that there is reason to believe the season can only get better – and they went into the international break in fifth place, just two points behind second-placed Manchester City.
Hudson-Odoi will need time to regain his sharpness and James to find his feet in the top flight, while N’Golo Kante is building up his fitness after injury problems and Antonio Rudiger is on the way back from injury along with Loftus-Cheek.
And with the possibility of new signings in January if Chelsea’s appeal against the transfer ban is upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Blues could well become significantly stronger in the coming months.
Shut the back door
On a less positive note for Lampard, Chelsea have looked vulnerable at the back at times. Rudiger’s return is important and should have an effect. The German has been a big loss and if he can get himself fully fit again, he could make all the difference.
If Lampard’s side can tighten up at the back, the attacking flair they’ve shown suggests they will be a force to be reckoned with this season. A top-four finish is certainly the least they should be aiming for.
