Momentum

The countdown to the start of Chelsea’s Premier League campaign is well and truly on, with just one preseason game remaining until Chelsea venture down the road to face Fulham.

Even after so many disappointing seasons in a row now, I am filled with optimism for the boys this season. Is my judgement clouded by my blind love for this club? Only time will tell. But with Xabi Alonso at the helm, it’s hard not to be excited.

I wanted to do some type of lineup/rotation prediction article, but I think I may hold off on that for now with Chelsea still very much active in the transfer market, especially in the sellers market. So instead, I am going to give my Chelsea season prediction; shoutout to the Joey and Josh podcast for the idea (I am a big fan).

Some of my answers will be logical, some maybe more emotionally motivated, but nonetheless, let’s go through my season predictions.

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What position will Chelsea finish in the Premier League?

I think we finish 3rd. As much as it pains me to say, I think Arsenal finish above us, and probably Manchester City as well. I think Chelsea can be right in the mix, though.

I would love to confidently predict Chelsea to finish top of the league, but I think we might start a little slow, with Xabi Alonso taking some time to implement his system effectively. In saying that, I also see both Arsenal and Manchester City starting slowly, so maybe we will win the league (please let me be hopeful).

But heart aside, I truly do believe if there was a season Chelsea could do it, it is this season. Outside of Arsenal, there is uncertainty surrounding every team.

No European football is going to be a massive advantage for Chelsea, especially later in the season. Just look at what United were able to do with their one game a week last season.

As it stands, I like our squad, especially in attack. If Xabi Alonso can get his stars to click early, we have the talent up front to compete with anyone. Assuming Enzo stays, I think our midfield is also a very solid unit, especially if Lavia can magically stay fit. Defence has obviously been a big issue the past few seasons, but with many new additions and hopefully Colwill back healthy, things are also trending upward.

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My hopes are high and I obviously picture a world in my head where we take home the Premier League title. But, being modest and tempering expectations, I think third place is very much achievable this season.

How will Chelsea perform in the domestic cups?

I think Chelsea can and will win either the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup. With no European football, this is a prime opportunity for silverware for this squad, and Xabi Alonso will not want to pass on the chance of securing his first trophy at Chelsea.

I mean, we somehow scraped an FA Cup Final appearance in last season’s shitshow, so surely we can go that one step further this season.

I expect the boys to be up for these big Cup games, assuming we don’t get knocked out early. Hopefully we can break our recent Wembley curse.

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Who will be Chelsea’s Player of the Season?

Player of the Season for me is the one player you look back on at the end of the season and think, wow, they were amazing for us every game. It’s definitely a mix of game-winning moments, consistency, and their contribution to winning overall.

I think Chelsea’s Player of the Season will be Moises Caicedo. Yes, I admit this may be a little biased as I am a MASSIVE fan of Moi, but I just think the consistent high level he brings is going to be hard to beat.

No matter what formation or system Chelsea plays, he is going to be an integral piece to the team. His ball-winning ability in the middle of the park is second to none, and I think his passing range is only improving.

Add in a few worldies into the mix, and Caicedo will hopefully get the recognition he deserves, not just as Chelsea’s best, but as one of the world’s best.

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Who will be Chelsea’s top goalscorer?

I mean, this one doesn’t need too much discussion. It has to be Joao Pedro.

I considered putting him as my Player of the Season; that’s how high I am on Chelsea’s main man up top. A disgraceful decision from Ancelotti to not bring Pedro to the World Cup, but for us Chelsea fans it just means we get a better-rested, more motivated version of Pedro, who was probably our best already last season.

He is just so, so good. Whether it is using his body in hold-up play, turning his defender, linking up beautifully with our other attackers, or clinically finishing any chance that comes his way, I am all in on Pedro.

Honestly, I could see 25+ goal contributions for him in the Premier League this season.

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Who will be Chelsea’s top assister?

This one is way more up in the air and is going to depend on a lot of things. What formation Chelsea plays, who stays and who goes, who plays where, etc.

I think if Reece James stays healthy, he could definitely be up there. Whether bombing up and down the wing as a wing-back, or playing in central midfield, we all know the quality of ball James can deliver when given the chance. Add in that he will likely be on set-pieces, and I think the assist potential is high.

I will throw another name into the mix. If he stays, I think Enzo Fernandez will also be up there in the assist numbers. Obviously, we also expect Cole Palmer to be up there, but if you want a truly rogue call, I am going back to my boy Joao Pedro. Especially if he ends up playing a second striker, I think he can create just as well as anyone on this team.

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Who will be Chelsea’s signing of the season?

There should be some hot competition for this award. Record signing Morgan Rogers will obviously have a fair go at it, while Maxence Lacroix should also be instrumental up the back. But my pick is none other than preseason starboy, Marco Palestra.

I feel like I have written so much about this kid in preseason already, but he really has put in some ‘blow your socks off’ type performances. Defensively, I am not 100% convinced yet, but if he ends up playing wingback rather than in a back 4, I think he will excel beyond belief.

For me, Palestra’s best attribute is his stamina. I have never ever seen someone run that fast and with that much intensity up and down the pitch for a full 90 minutes, let alone in preseason.

He is going to be an absolute weapon for Chelsea this season if Alonso elects to play his wingback system. Speaking of Alonso’s, the Marcos Alonso comps for Palestra seem incredibly accurate…

I am so excited for this kid to take the league by storm this season.

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Who will be Chelsea’s breakout player of the season?

I am going to cheat and give you two. They are kind of opposites in a way that one is conditional on him not getting injured, while the other is almost conditional on others getting injured (not in a cruel, evil, selfish type of way but simply in an increased opportunity type of way).

The first has to be Mr Injury Prone himself, Romeo Lavia. Actually, let’s not do that. How about we call him Mr Durability or something to manifest some good fortune.

Jokes aside, I remember how gassed I was when we signed Lavia from Southampton, hijacking him from Liverpool. Unfortunately, injuries have riddled Lavia’s Chelsea career to date, to an almost unheard-of extent. I have not lost hope, though.

Every time I have seen Lavia play, I am reminded why I am so high on the guy. He is so good on the half-turn, very physically dominant in 1v1s, and possesses a great bag of passes. If he can just stay healthy, I think Lavia can be one of Chelsea’s best.

My other candidate for this award is Josh Acheampong, and this one kind of relies on a few things. Firstly, that he gets the game time opportunity to show his talent, which at this stage he does not seem to be at the top of the pecking order.

But if Alonso elects to play a back three, I think Acheampong is the perfect player for that right centre-back role. I know it was only preseason, but did you see how good he looked locking up Rafael Leao the other night?

He possesses incredible size and physicality for his age, and is also sneakily good at carrying the ball. At the very least, he is definitley one to watch.