Premier League 2025-26 Preview No 7: Chelsea

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not needfully Michael Butler’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 4th

Prospects

Securing Champions League qualification connected nan past time of nan Premier League play and an improbable Club World Cup triumph person transformed nan club, their finances and ambitions for 2025-26. Chelsea stayed comparatively nether nan radar for overmuch of nan Club World Cup – successful portion because of their comparatively benignant way to nan later stages – but their commanding 3-0 triumph against Paris Saint-Germain successful nan last intends they are again regarded arsenic a perchance ascendant European unit and possibly moreover arsenic contenders for nan Premier League title.

That is if Chelsea are fresh – mentally, physically and tactically – for nan caller season. By nan clip Chelsea played nan Club World Cup last connected 13 July, astir each different Premier League broadside had started their pre-season. Since then, while Liverpool, Arsenal and co person been difficult astatine work, nan players person had 3 weeks disconnected and returned connected Monday, pinch 2 friends matches, 2 days apart, scheduled earlier their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace connected 17 August. To opportunity Chelsea are playing catch-up is simply a terrible understatement.

That said, this is astir apt nan astir breathtaking play for Chelsea since nan Champions League triumph successful 2021. With nan objection of goalkeeper and perchance centre-back, Enzo Maresca has a declare to having 2 elite players successful each position and he could yet adhd further extent pinch Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho heavy linked. Departures will beryllium needed to trim nan fat and equilibrium nan books – Chelsea were fixed a €31m (£27m) good past period by Uefa for breaking financial rules – but fewer would reason against them having nan deepest squad successful nan convention and 1 of Maresca’s biggest challenges will beryllium maintaining harmony and continuity, connected and disconnected nan pitch. Last season, nan Conference League was a useful chance to remainder and rotate players. The Champions League will not beryllium truthful accommodating.

The manager

As precocious arsenic April, Maresca was astatine likelihood pinch nan Chelsea fans and appeared to blasted a antagonistic situation astatine Stamford Bridge for a 2-2 location tie pinch Ipswich that near top-five hopes fading fast. But 5 wins from nan last six convention games secured 4th place, redeeming Chelsea’s play and perchance Maresca’s job. “They were saying that we are excessively young, we are not bully enough,” he said. “Unfortunately for them, they person each been wrong. So successful English, really do you say? Eff-off to each of them.” Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph – and nan tactical masterclass by Maresca successful nan last to neutralise PSG’s beforehand 3 and create pockets of abstraction for Cole Palmer – intends he will get a very different reception astatine Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s convention opener.

The Chelsea caput coach, Enzo Maresca, will beryllium a much celebrated man erstwhile he returns to Stamford Bridge connected nan opening weekend. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Off-field picture

Chelsea’s much-maligned financial gymnastics of caller years – nan eight-year statement amortisation (a loophole closed by Uefa), nan waste of their hugely successful women’s squad (to their ain genitor company) and their rampant usage of multiclub ownership and nan indebtedness strategy – person infuriated rivals and allowed them to combine 1 of nan deepest, youngest, astir talented squads around. In nan Todd Boehly era, Chelsea person spent much than £1.5bn and nan nine look an further €60m good from Uefa if they neglect to comply pinch regulations complete nan adjacent 4 years. A bigger stadium would help, but what Chelsea do pinch Stamford Bridge remains unclear; nan 40,044-capacity crushed is not easy developed fixed challenges ranging from nan freehold to a adjacent railway line. A move to Earl’s Court has been mooted.

Star signing

Estêvão was courted by PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and is wide regarded arsenic nan biggest talent to travel retired of Brazil since Vinícius Júnior. The 18-year-old’s performances astatine nan Club World Cup – including a superb onslaught for Palmeiras against Chelsea successful nan quarter-final – suggests that nan summertime presence is already world class. Players swooned complete nan teen astatine nan last whistle successful Philadelphia – “I told Estêvão: ‘We are excited for you to join’ but he didn’t understand a azygous connection I said,” Palmer said aft swapping shirts pinch nan £52m signing. Capable disconnected some wings aliases arsenic a No 10, nan slender Estêvão will want to impressment nan erstwhile Chelsea head Carlo Ancelotti, now of Brazil, earlier nan World Cup adjacent summer.

Stepping up

“He perchance tin beryllium a apical defender for this club,” Maresca said of Josh Acheampong aft nan defender’s performances astatine nan Club World Cup prompted whispers that respective clubs successful England and Europe were search nan teenager. How nan 19-year-old fits into Maresca’s plans remains to beryllium seen, but his versatility, 6ft 3in stature and composure enabled him to bask a breakthrough twelvemonth pinch 13 first-team appearances. Naturally a right-back aliases a centre-back but tin of playing anyplace crossed nan backline, Acheampong joined Chelsea arsenic an under-eight and signed a caller five-year statement successful 2024. “The clubs that were mentioned, they for illustration Josh, but we besides for illustration Josh,” Maresca said. “The champion scheme for Josh is to beryllium pinch us.”

A large play for …

Roméo Lavia. The 21-year-old’s value is not successful question. Chelsea are a amended broadside pinch Lavia, much fluid and press-resistant, and he was sensational successful a 3-1 triumph against Liverpool successful May erstwhile he completed 100% of his passes. Maresca moreover moved Moisés Caicedo to right-back to accommodate Lavia alongside Enzo Fernández astatine nan backmost extremity of past season, but concerns stay complete nan Belgian’s fitness. After a first twelvemonth erstwhile he managed 32 minutes successful 2023-24, different injury-hit run followed, starting 11 convention games. Another twelvemonth connected nan sidelines could spell trouble, peculiarly arsenic Chelsea person Caicedo, Fernández, Dário Essugo, nan awesome Andrey Santos and possibly Reece James competing for 2 spots successful protect midfield successful Maresca’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.