While France continued to celebrate their World Cup triumph, and Croatians trooped out en masse to receive their heroes in Zagreb, Premier League romantics around the globe licked their lips in anticipation of what the 2018/19 campaign had in store.
The most exciting league in the world was set to return in August. Once more, we’d go through 38 match weeks of electrifying madness, except, in this edition, before the first international break of the season, only three teams have maintained a perfect record, but how far will they go? And who will blink first? Could it be Chelsea? Let’s try to analyse and find this out.
Maurizio Sarri has hit the ground running in his opening four league fixtures, guiding his Chelsea team to convincing victories over Huddersfield, Arsenal, Newcastle and Bournemouth, and joining an elite list of managers to have settled perfectly in their first month in charge of a Premier League club.
A number of Chelsea fans have gone from “how will Sarri settle?” to “hope the players adapt to his theories early enough” to “so you’re saying there’s a chance we’re contending for the title this season?”.
With each passing fixture, the Blues have kept the momentum alive, and although they’ve struggled a bit defensively, it’s probably only a matter of time before Maurizio Sarri gets it right with his back four.
Although the Pensioners won three from four in the early weeks of 2017/18, it was the opening day defeat to Burnley at Stamford Bridge, and a couple of off-field distractions, that set the tone for a disappointing title-defense.
Things are slightly better now, Maurizio Sarri has the full support of the Chelsea hierarchy, and while the International break unfolds, it is the upcoming fixtures against Cardiff and the vulnerable West Ham, that will occupy the Tuscan’s mind.