Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Michael Butler’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 4th
Prospects
Securing Champions League qualification on the last day of the Premier League season and an unlikely Club World Cup triumph have transformed the club, their finances and ambitions for 2025-26. Chelsea stayed relatively under the radar for much of the Club World Cup – in part because of their relatively kind route to the later stages – but their commanding 3-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in the final means they are again regarded as a potentially dominant European force and perhaps even as contenders for the Premier League title.
That is if Chelsea are ready – mentally, physically and tactically – for the new season. By the time Chelsea played the Club World Cup final on 13 July, nearly every other Premier League side had started their pre-season. Since then, while Liverpool, Arsenal and co have been hard at work, the players have had three weeks off and returned on Monday, with two friendly matches, two days apart, scheduled before their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on 17 August. To say Chelsea are playing catch-up is a severe understatement.
That said, this is probably the most exciting period for Chelsea since the Champions League triumph in 2021. With the exception of goalkeeper and possibly centre-back, Enzo Maresca has a claim to having two elite players in every position and he could yet add further depth with Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho heavily linked. Departures will be needed to trim the fat and balance the books – Chelsea were given a €31m (£27m) fine last month by Uefa for breaking financial rules – but few would argue against them having the deepest squad in the league and one of Maresca’s biggest challenges will be maintaining harmony and continuity, on and off the pitch. Last season, the Conference League was a useful chance to rest and rotate players. The Champions League will not be so accommodating.
The manager
As recently as April, Maresca was at odds with the Chelsea fans and appeared to blame a negative environment at Stamford Bridge for a 2-2 home draw with Ipswich that left top-five hopes fading fast. But five wins from the final six league games secured fourth place, saving Chelsea’s season and possibly Maresca’s job. “They were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough,” he said. “Unfortunately for them, they have all been wrong. So in English, how do you say? Eff-off to all of them.” Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph – and the tactical masterclass by Maresca in the final to neutralise PSG’s front three and create pockets of space for Cole Palmer – means he will get a very different reception at Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s league opener.
Off-field picture
Chelsea’s much-maligned financial gymnastics of recent years – the eight-year contract amortisation (a loophole closed by Uefa), the sale of their hugely successful women’s team (to their own parent company) and their rampant use of multiclub ownership and the loan system – have infuriated rivals and allowed them to assemble one of the deepest, youngest, most talented squads around. In the Todd Boehly era, Chelsea have spent more than £1.5bn and the club face an additional €60m fine from Uefa if they fail to comply with regulations over the next four years. A bigger stadium would help, but what Chelsea do with Stamford Bridge remains unclear; the 40,044-capacity ground is not easily developed given challenges ranging from the freehold to a nearby railway line. A move to Earl’s Court has been mooted.
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Star signing
Estêvão was courted by PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and is widely regarded as the biggest talent to come out of Brazil since Vinícius Júnior. The 18-year-old’s performances at the Club World Cup – including a brilliant strike for Palmeiras against Chelsea in the quarter-final – suggests that the summer arrival is already world class. Players swooned over the teenager at the final whistle in Philadelphia – “I told Estêvão: ‘We are excited for you to join’ but he didn’t understand a single word I said,” Palmer said after swapping shirts with the £52m signing. Capable off both wings or as a No 10, the slender Estêvão will want to impress the former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, now of Brazil, before the World Cup next summer.
Stepping up
“He potentially can be a top defender for this club,” Maresca said of Josh Acheampong after the defender’s performances at the Club World Cup prompted whispers that several clubs in England and Europe were tracking the teenager. How the 19-year-old fits into Maresca’s plans remains to be seen, but his versatility, 6ft 3in stature and composure enabled him to enjoy a breakthrough year with 13 first-team appearances. Naturally a right-back or a centre-back but capable of playing anywhere across the backline, Acheampong joined Chelsea as an under-eight and signed a new five-year contract in 2024. “The clubs that were mentioned, they like Josh, but we also like Josh,” Maresca said. “The best plan for Josh is to be with us.”
A big season for …
Roméo Lavia. The 21-year-old’s quality is not in question. Chelsea are a better side with Lavia, more fluid and press-resistant, and he was sensational in a 3-1 win against Liverpool in May when he completed 100% of his passes. Maresca even moved Moisés Caicedo to right-back to accommodate Lavia alongside Enzo Fernández at the back end of last season, but concerns remain over the Belgian’s fitness. After a first year when he managed 32 minutes in 2023-24, another injury-hit campaign followed, starting 11 league games. Another year on the sidelines could spell trouble, particularly as Chelsea have Caicedo, Fernández, Dário Essugo, the impressive Andrey Santos and perhaps Reece James competing for two spots in defensive midfield in Maresca’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
