Chelsea is one of England’s most successful and beloved clubs. They enjoy international popularity and have one of the highest social media followings out of any English club (the only ones with a bigger following are Liverpool and Manchester United).
They have won the Premier League a total of five times, making them one of the most successful clubs in the league. The last 20 years of the club’s career have been the most successful since they first formed in the early 20th century.
Now that we are less than a month away from the 31 st iteration of England’s most notable football league, many Chelsea fans are wondering what their club’s chances are of taking the title. In this article, we are going to take a look at a few factors that may lead to Chelsea’s victory, or might hinter their chances at the title.
The Odds Are in Their Favor
Taking a look at the Premier League’s current match fixtures, Chelsea is posed to go up against Everton, Leeds and Tottenham in their first three games. Chelsea fans will be happy to learn, that according to many bookmakers and analysts out there, The Blues are at an advantage.
Taking a look at their performance last season, as oppose to the showings of the other clubs, many believe that the only threat that is facing Chelsea is Tottenham. Both of the clubs managed to place in the top 5 last season, with Chelsea placing 3rd and Tottenham 4th. Against Everton and Leeds, however, most football fans, from casual to hardcore, seem to be in agreement that Chelsea will take the W.
New Players
This summer, Chelsea only managed to get their hands on one new player. Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling is now playing as winger and midfielder for the Blues. Despite Sterling’s stellar performances, some fans can’t help but be a little disappointed at the lack of newcomers, especially considering all of the players that walked out the door of Stamford Bridge this summer (we will get to that a bit further in the article).
Still, Raheem Sterling is an excellent addition to a team that is already stacked with great players. With attackers like Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech and a goalkeeper of Kepa’s repute, the Blues ought to be just fine this season. Some have criticized the club’s lack of focus on defense, a problem which many are hoping that Thomas Tuchel will fix in the upcoming season.
The Players Who’ve Parted Ways
The biggest blow to Chelsea in the pre-season was the loss of six highly-reputable players. Chief among them was German center-back, Antonio Rudiger, who transferred to Real Madrid this June. Many Chelsea fans are saddened by this loss of a great player, however, the club remains optimistic and believes that future is bright.
Apart from Rudiger, five other players walked out the Stamford Bridge gate. Andreas Christensen, Danny Drinkwater, Jake Clarke-Salter and Charly Musonda have all departed the club and moved to different teams. Despite these losses, fans have remained cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a Chelsea championship title in 2023. How the transfers will impact the club remains to be seen.
How Did Chelsea do in 2021/22
Lastly, we would like to take a little look back at the past season and talk about how well the Blues did. As most of you might know, Chelsea ranked 3rd in 2022, behind Liverpool (2nd) and Manchester City (1st). The club still managed to break the top 3, which is an impressive feat in and of itself. However, many fans are hoping that the placement has lit a fire under the club, and will drive them to do even better in the 2022/23 season.
During their last season, Chelsea suffered quite a bit in the second half. It is where most of their losses came from, and the club also lost their owner Roman Abramovich. However, they still performed admirably. Out of the 38 games, they won 21 and lost only 6, drawing in the remaining 11. At this point in time, fans are hoping that Mr. Tuchel has fixed all of the problems with the team, and that the Blues will go all the way to the top of the rankings in 2023.
