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Steffen Schmidt - July 22, 2025
After several dismal campaigns, Chelsea concluded last season with a couple of international trophies.
While the UEFA Conference League title may have been taken for granted, the recently-won FIFA Club World Cup silverware gave the Blues a completely new momentum swing ahead of the new season.
Premier League trophy may still be a step too far for this group of players but Chelsea definitely have something to build on in the battle on multiple fronts in 2025/26.
The first season in charge of Chelsea for former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca was packed with highs and lows throughout.
Maresca fell to defending champions Manchester City on his debut at Etihad Stadium but went on to lose just 1 of the following 16 Premier League matches.
Nevertheless, the team has dropped in form badly since Boxing Day’s loss to city rivals Fulham. They eventually had to fight for a top-four finish, securing it on the very final day of the campaign with a narrow win over Nottingham Forest at The City Ground.
Just three days after, Chelsea demolished Real Betis in a wonderful 4-1 second-half comeback in the UEFA Conference League final. They thus became the first club ever to win each of five continental competitions.
Last but not least, the Blues secured global glory by destroying Champions League winners PSG 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup final on July 13 on US soil.
Chelsea have been among the most active sides during the last several transfer windows. They have continued the trend during this summer, making bountiful moves with the main focus on improving the attacking unit.
Most important arrivals for Chelsea ahead of the 2025/26 season include:
Liam Delap (£30 million) – Chelsea announced Delap’s arrival shortly after the previous Premier League campaign. The young English forward bagged 12 goals in the league last time out despite playing for relegated Ipswich Town.
Jamie Gittens (£51 million) – Jamie exploded last season at Borussia Dortmund. He is a very strong in 1vs1 situations and it will be very interesting to track his future development at Stamford Bridge.
Joao Pedro (£60 million) – Pedro is a fantastic link player capable to cover multiple attacking positions. The Brazilian ended last season with 10 goals and 6 assists in 27 Premier League outings for Brighton. He was a big part of Chelsea’s run to the Club World Cup title, netting a brace in the semi-final against Fluminense and another goal in the final against PSG.
Chelsea have also added a handful of talented youngsters to the roster, including the likes of Dario Essugo, Estevao, Mike Penders, and Kendry Paez. The former duo will be particularly exciting to watch.
The most significant departure is the one of Noni Madueke who made a mote for Arsenal in a £52 million deal.
The fact that Chelsea invested almost £190 million in bolstering their attacking positions speaks volumes. Will it prove out to be money well spent?
Much like his more famous and experienced colleagues in the league, Enzp Maresca has kept the main focus on developing the popular 4-2-3-1 formation.
This is the basic shape that categorizes Chelsea’s play while defending. In possession it evolves to a 3-2-4-1 formation with full-backs inverting into midfield. The Blues have the perfect manpower for such fluidity with both Reece James and Marc Cucurella well capable of deputizing in these roles.
Maresca also utilized a 4-4-1-1 format with Cole Palmer in the playmaker role right behind Joao Pedro in the final third.
Palmer is the key to every single modification of the formation, as well as the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in the double pivot role.
Taking the strength of their rivals, it is hard to see Chelsea challenging for the Premier League title this season.
Recently-won international trophies will renew the team’s ambitions but Chelsea still lack quality in comparison to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
They last won the league almost a decade ago, back in the 2016/17 campaign. Since then, the Blues have only made two top-three finishes.
They were 12th in 2022/23, 6th in 2023/24, and 4th in 2024/25 season. Cup glory is much more realistic, especially after the team’s successes in cup competitions last time out. The fans would be thrilled with a top-three finish and a title in one of three cups.
Chelsea have a plethora of options across positions. Expect their starting lineup to fluctuate depending on competitions and the availability of players throughout the season. This is their strongest XI in our opinion:
Sanchez – James, Colwill, Fofana, Cucurella – Fernandez, Caicedo – Neto, Palmer, Gittens – Pedro.
There will be some rotation in the attacking unit for sure with the likes of Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson, Dario Essugo, and Estevao all waiting for their chance to shine.
Chelsea are 9.00 to lift the Premier League title but it is a huge longshot. As lucrative as the odds may appear to be, we would advise you to skip this option. The Blues have not been anywhere near the title battle in the last several years, a run that even includes a 12th-placed finish three years ago.
The fact they don’t have a single top-three finish in the last three years does not bode well for their chances either.
Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal all have stronger rosters and are the favorites to finish above Chelsea in the English Premier League at the end of the season. The likes of Newcastle, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Tottenham will also push for a top-four finish.
Despite their recent global success, the best value in the outright season betting marketing for Chelsea’s 2025/26 season is in backing the Blues not to finish in top four at the 2.20 odds.
Ambitions have grown drastically for Chelsea after a surprising FIFA Club World Cup title and we see it as a massive burden for Enzo Maresca. He will be up against some true heavyweights in England and Chelsea will need something special to join the battle for trophies in the 2025/26 campaign. Will the Italian find that something?
