Why Chelsea need to be taken seriously as Premier League title favourites this season

On the back of finishing fourth at the end of the 2019-20 season, there was that sense Chelsea would do better in the 2020-21 campaign and for good reason too.

The Blues were finally able to buy players after a transfer ban imposed on them ended. They went ahead and splashed more than £200 million on seven signings.

It was a good period for Frank Lampard to make a further statement of his credentials as a young up and coming manager.

It however didn’t turn out to be good for the Blues legend as he was ultimately sacked on January 25, 2021 after a poor run of results saw them outside the top four and not challenging for the Premier League title.

In came Thomas Tuchel the very next day and the former Paris Saint-Germain man became an instant hit.

Within a short space of time, Tuchel was able to restructure the Chelsea squad to become tactically efficient, part of which saw players on the fringes under Lampard finally sparkle and dazzle much to the delight and amazement of fans.

The end result was a top four finish, FA Cup runners-up spot and the biggest prize, a second Champions League title since the first in 2012.

Till date, Chelsea fans haven’t gotten over the hysteria of the victory against Manchester City on May 29 in Porto. The West London outfit were nowhere considered close to being favourites to win European club football’s biggest prize. However, the moment they saw off Atletico Madrid, FC Porto and 13-time victors Real Madrid, the narrative changed.

A new season is upon us and Chelsea are not really in the discussion of favourites for the Premier League title. It’s rather Manchester City who are the current holders, Manchester United, who finished second and have strengthened in the transfer market, and even Liverpool, whom many believe will be back in top form so long Virgil van Dijk is back to his former best.

It will be very naive not to put Chelsea as a favourite. In fact, they should be the outright favourites based on what Tuchel has done.

The Champions League victory might be a one off because its a cup competition, but it is by no means fluke. As stated earlier, the German tactician has succeeded in building a very strong team that works in a very solid tactical system.

From the back, Chelsea are rock solid. They managed to keep 11 clean sheets in 15 Premier League matches under Tuchel, compared to Lampard’s stint where goals were being leaked on a regular. In the Champions League, they successfully held off Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Manchester City. Even in the Premier League, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur were not able to breach Chelsea’s back. Man City did but could not beat them. Only Arsenal succeeded in scoring and beating the Blues, but the result was inconsequential.

In midfield, Chelsea are blessed with players bursting with energy, power, work rate and individual brilliance. The likes of Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic, all took their game up a notch to really fit into Tuchel’s plans. 

It’s in attack Chelsea have had issues under Tuchel. They tend to be very wasteful in front of goal which often leaves fans on the edge of their seats and sometimes frustrated. The most frustration has gone to Timo Werner.

In spite of his profligacy, the former RB Leipzig forward was still Chelsea’s best goal contributor with (12 goals and 15 assists in all competitions. There were also concerns over other the efficiency of other attackers in Tammy Abraham, Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi. They all had flashes of brilliance, but it wasn’t consistent.

The team is back now in preseason and these names have been making a good impression with Chelsea winning their two games so far against Bournemouth and Arsenal.

There are still calls to sign a top striker with rumours continuing to surround Borussia Dortmund talisman Erling Haaland. While an addition will be great, Tuchel looks content and confident in the players he has.

With the preseason under their belt and more training with the season proper going back to its normal schedule of starting in August after a year of pauses, late season starts and fixture congestions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, these players will have time to improve.

If Chelsea can carry the same form they had when Tuchel arrived Stamford Bridge on January 26 into the new season and improve on it, the supposed early front runners for the Premier League title will be in for a major shock. 

Write Chelsea off at your own peril.

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Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.

Follow him on Twitter: @kfayiga

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