Chelsea 2021-22 Premier League Preview

Chelsea 2021-22 Premier League Preview

The reigning European champions have enjoyed the dream start to life under Tomas Tuchel since he replaced Frank Lampard in January 2021, and the expectations have grown as the German manager prepares for his first full season in charge of the club. Chelsea were undoubtedly the second-best side in Europe after Manchester City since Tuchel’s arrival and should be one of the main contenders to challenge Pep Guardiola’s side for the Premier League title.

Transfers

After spending over £220 million in the 2020 summer window on the likes of Havertz, Werner, Chilwell and Ziyech, Chelsea have broken the bank once again this summer with the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Inter for €115 million.

While Chelsea were excellent defensively at the back end of last season, they struggled to score freely under Tuchel, and the signing of Romelu Lukaku is the perfect solution to their goal-scoring woes. The Belgian striker is a completely different player to the one Chelsea sold to Everton in 2014 and has managed 64 goals in his two seasons with Inter while also leading the team to their first Serie A title in a decade.

Player to watch out for: Kai Havertz

After a slow start to life at Chelsea, Havertz became a key part of Tomas Tuchel’s starting XI towards the back end of the season and ultimately scored the goal that won Chelsea the Champions League Final against Manchester City in Porto. The German bagged 7 goals and assists in 12 starts under Tuchel and thrived in his playmaking role, and if the 22-year-old can keep up that progress in the new campaign, Havertz could be one of Chelsea’s most important players in the 2021/22 season. 

Possible starting XI

Edouard Mendy was one of the unsung heroes for Chelsea last season and has proved to be an incredibly astute signing thanks to his excellent shot-stopping and ball-playing ability.

In the back three, Antonio Rudiger and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta have been given a new lease of life under Tuchel and have excelled alongside Thiago Silva, who continues to put in world-class performances at age 36. Tuchel has rotated his wing-backs during his time at the club, but the two best options remain Reece James and Ben Chilwell, who played a major role in Chelsea’s Champions League run last season.

N’Golo Kante is the engine of Chelsea’s midfield and partners European Champion Jorginho in the middle of the park. In attack, Tuchel has a wide variety of options to choose from, but the three players he is most likely to use are Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Romelu Lukaku. Havertz and Mount are excellent both with and without the ball, and their playmaking and movement will complement Romelu Lukaku, who will be the focal point of Chelsea’s attack.

Mendy, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger, James, Chilwell, Jorginho, Kante, Mount, Havertz, Lukaku