Premier League Club-By-Club Predictions: After winning several trophies in 2024-25, can Chelsea put the newly-acquired experience to good use?

A strong 2024-25 season sees Chelsea in a position to push forward in their quest to win Premier League silverware. With Manchester City in a revamp period, and with Arsenal’s new squad unproven, can the Blues take the next step?

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After Enzo Maresca enjoyed an extremely successful first season at Chelsea, winning the Blues both the Conference League and the Club World Cup and guiding them to a Champions League berth, his second season is going to get all the more complex. 

With his young Chelsea squad earning the club a return trip to the Champions League after a two-year hiatus, can Maresca continue to push Chelsea towards domestic title contention? Or will European and cup commitments set the team back?

What Noah says:

This season is a critical one for Chelsea. Over the past two years, sides that previously made it into the Champions League after missing for a few seasons or more have struggled to make it back the next season. Considering this fact, alongside a summer Club World Cup run, the onus is on the Blues to gain vital experience and minimise any potential struggles. 

They do have the benefit of having an easy August and September slate. With no European compatriots on the schedule in those two months, Chelsea could easily win most of their first seven games, allowing for manager Enzo Maresca to grant his starters some valuable rest and to cycle through his roster in its entirety. Even then, Chelsea’s games against top contenders are more spread out than with other clubs; the one stretch of concern I see is when the Blues go up against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Manchester City in a stretch lasting from late-February through to mid-April. 

While it remains to be seen if/how fatigue from a Club World Cup championship will play a role in Chelsea’s start, I do believe that we are still talking about a side capable of fighting for a top-four finish. Even if they do struggle to some degree early, the Blues are now far more experienced with regard to balancing domestic and international responsibilities. I believe they will stay the course domestically with a top-four finish, while challenging for at least one Cup final before the season is out.

Projected finish: 4th

What Ellie says:

Chelsea comes into the new season as Club World Cup Champions, bringing loads of eyes and money to the club. This should help them ensure their squad is fully prepared and ready to fight for Champions League places. With the introduction of Joao Pedro, Chelsea are set to have a new life in Attack and can utilise him where previous players had lacked in tactical ability.

Being such a crucial part of their summer campaign, Pedro looks to fill the gap Chelsea has had in the striker position. Bringing in new players is all good as long as their previous thousand players have a spot on the team, and everyone knows where they stand in the ranks for their position. Inner battles for the starting 11 spots will cause new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca headaches.

With high hopes coming into 25/26, Chelsea are set to surprise many with wins against top teams, but they will struggle against the mid-League teams, creating confusion in tactics and operations.

Projected finish: 6th

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Article written by Noah Guttman and Ellie Swain