It has been six years now since Chelsea last lifted the Premier League title. That success came in the 2016/17 campaign when Antonio Conte led the Blues to the club’s second championship in three years.
Chelsea finished in their worst league position since 1994 last season, but there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about a much better campaign this time. Here is a look at why it could be a great year for the Blues.
Manchester City May Concentrate on Champions League
Defending champions Manchester City are clearly the team to beat again this season. However, after winning the title in the last three consecutive seasons, their motivation might not be as high as it is in other competitions.
City prevailed in the Champions League for the first time back in May, and a successful defence of the premier European trophy could be their priority for Pep Guardiola’s side. City are the 21/10 favourites in the Champions League betting this season, which indicates they will be a strong force in that competition.
Pochettino Is the Right Man for The Job
Chelsea are fourth best at 16/1 in the latest football odds for the Premier League title. Those odds suggest they have a much better chance of lifting the title than Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham all do.
Chelsea Football Club is pleased to announce Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s new head coach!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 29, 2023
Pochettino has made a good start to his role as head coach at Chelsea. It is clear he has a system he believes in, and he names his starting XI based on that. Given this approach is something new for his squad, results should improve as the season progresses.
The Argentine has a wealth of experience in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham, while he also spent two seasons with PSG, one of the biggest clubs in Europe, so this job is not going to be too big for him.
New Signings Have Made a Strong Impact
It has been another busy summer at Chelsea, with lots of players arriving and departing. Many of those who have joined the Blues have made a positive impact on the team. One of which is goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The former Brighton man has shown why he is considered one of the brightest shot-stoppers in Europe.
Chelsea will sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal for over $38M, reports @FabrizioRomano
The 22-year-old Senegal striker had 13 goals and five assists last season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/30yhckqGRt
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 23, 2023
French international, Christopher Nkunku, started brightly in Chelsea’s pre-season tour before he picked a knee injury. While there are players who can deputise for Nkunku, he will be missed. Let’s not forget, that this is a man who scored 35 goals during the 2021/22 campaign, was named Bundesliga Player of the Season and German PFA Player of the Season. He could be the man to rely on in the latter stages of the season.
It is not just this summer’s signings that are impressive though, those which arrived in 2022 seem to be settled into the team now. A good example of this is Raheem Sterling. He scored twice in his opening three games of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, and he looks a much sharper player than the one that featured last year.
Hopefully, Chelsea fans will look back at the end of the season and be pleased with how it went. If Pochettino gets it right, it could be the start of an exciting era at the West London club.
