There has been a strange feeling around Stamford Bridge this season. One of optimism and excitement: two feelings that fans had been slowly forgetting.
The constant pleas for patience from Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali finally seem to be making sense as Chelsea, while still by no means the finished article, have come a long way and the idea that these crazy two years can prove that it’s worth it no longer felt. so fanciful
With almost a third of the season in the books already, 90 minutes takes a look at Chelsea’s 2024/25 season so far.
|
Games played (all compositions) |
win |
draws |
losses |
goal difference |
League position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
18 |
10 |
4 |
4 |
+25 |
3rd |
After the chaos of the last few seasons, ChelseaThe decision to commit to an inexperienced boss in Enzo Maresca looked destined for failure, but the Blues have exceeded expectations to climb to third in the Premier League table.
It hasn’t always been perfect, but Chelsea’s performances have largely been positive and good performances against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have not yielded the results they deserve. It’s a sign that Chelsea have taken a big step in the right direction, but they still have work to do to firmly establish themselves as a domestic power once again.
In cup football, the Conference League has been the smooth ride we all hoped it would be so far, but the Carabao Cup race ended abruptly in the fourth round at the hands of Newcastle United. It was the reserves who went down in defeat, but there aren’t too many conclusions to be drawn from it.
It’s incredibly easy to keep singing praises Cole Palmerwho deserves this applause as he leads the club in both goals and assists, but we can’t go on without giving Moises Caicedo her flowers The Ecuador international has looked like the £115m player he was meant to be, and there is a genuine case to be made that he has been the best midfielder in the Premier League this season.
In another place, Nicholas Jackson he continues to laugh in front of his critics, while behind the scenes, Marc CucurellaThe resurgence of ‘s deserves immense credit and the emerging association of Levi Colwill i Wesley Fofana has fans excited for the future.
Christopher NkunkuThe minutes may have been limited, but he has still scored nine goals in seven cup games. Credit where the credit is enforceable.
Although Caicedo seems to have settled into his new surroundings, the same cannot be said Enzo Fernandezwho is once again struggling to find his best position in a midfield setup that, so far, doesn’t seem to suit him. The Argentine wore the captain’s armband to start the season but has found himself coming off the bench in recent weeks.
Summer signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has endured a forgettable start to life at Stamford Bridge, seeing just 43 minutes of Premier League action and failing to make the matchday squad more often than not. Questions need to be asked about the decision to spend £30m on his services.
in defense, Robert Sanchez continues to fluctuate between world beater and nightmare-in-waiting, while the backup defensive duo of Axel Disasi i Benoit Badiashile they have a lot of work to do to prove themselves under Maresca. bad flightThe recent use of in an inverted role has almost completely negated his impact on the team.
At the beginning of the season, 90 minutes predicted Chelsea would finish the 2024/25 campaign in eighth place. Clearly, it would be a surprise to see the Blues slip that far based on their early season form.
We’re not talking about a title charge, not unless City’s collapse continues and Liverpool decide to follow suit, but Chelsea have every reason to believe they can qualify for the Champions League this year , with a place in the 2025/26 Europa League. minimum the fans will be able to accept.
A place in Europe’s second-tier competition should be sealed by lifting the Conference League trophy anyway. Maresca’s are the overwhelming favorites and should go into the competition straight into second gear, at which point the big names will be able to join in the fun and secure the first men’s silverware of the BlueCo era.
