Since the end of the World Cup a lot has happened at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Conte was sacked, Maurizio Sarri was appointed as the new manager and Jorginho was signed from Napoli. They also lost the Community Shield to Manchester City, and Callum Hudson Odoi proved exactly why he is rated as one of England’s top youngster. Well the Premier League is just round the corner and the transfer market closes in just a few hours. While we gear up for a brand new season of English football, let’s weigh up Chelsea’s chances and look at what we can expect?
New players
One of the major transfer deals that Chelsea completed this season was the signing of Jorginho, who was snapped up from right under Manchester City’s nose. Labelled as Sarri’s ideal man in the midfield, Jorginho has the ability to dictate the tempo of games as demonstrated in the pre-season tour. Even when an under-strength Chelsea were up against a high pressing Manchester City in the Community Shield, he rarely gave away the ball and had a passing accuracy of ninety percent.
Mateo Kovacic has joined Chelsea on a season long loan, and if you have seen him play for Real Madrid you will know that he is highly underrated. He is a versatile player who is yet to hit his prime and hopefully the reassurance of regular game-time and not having to compete with big names like Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will help him blossom into a world class midfielder.
Chelsea have also landed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao for £72 million as a replacement for Thibaut Courtois who has joined Real Madrid. Kepa is currently Spain’s second choice ‘keeper and he will definitely be under a lot of pressure to justify his massive price tag, which makes him the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. However it would be wise to give him some time to settle down and adjust to life in England. After all he is just 23 years of age. Let’s not forget that it was more than 18 months after moving to England before David de Gea started putting in performances of the calibre he regularly does now at Manchester United.
Tactical changes
The appointment of Sarri as head coach indicates a big shift in Chelsea’s policies. Chelsea are investing in a team and management that can deliver success in the near future. This season could be a revelation to the kind of football Chelsea will play in the upcoming seasons.
Sarri, without a doubt will use his preferred 4-3-3 formation, one that we have rarely seen Chelsea players play in. Sarri’s unique brand of possession based attacking football has impressed pundits all across Europe. Given the tactical adaptability that Chelsea players have shown in the past it might not be long before they begin playing classic “Sarriball”. Plus the prospect of watching the trio of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Kovacic in the midfield is an exciting one.
Eden Hazard will be back in August after a strong showing at the World Cup, Pedro has found his footing again and the young guns Callum Hudson Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are looking sharp. It looks like the stage is set for the start of a new era at Chelsea.
So let’s get ready for some great games from this club once the season begins.