Chelsea
are Champions League holders. Boss Thomas Tuchel has had a transformative
impact on their style and defensive solidity since joining in January. And
they showed a steely mentality under the German to edge tight matches in
both that run to European glory and to grab a top-four finish in last
season's Premier League.
With real strength in depth to call upon, all the signs are pointing towards
a genuine title challenge in 2021/22.
The signing of Romelu Lukaku will surely make that a reality.
The Blues' record in cup competitions has been an impressive one of late,
adding the European Super Cup to their collection this week. But to achieve
success across a 38-game season entails different demands.
To become league champions requires a relentless consistency, winning week
in, week out. But while they've pulled off brilliant performances in one-off
games, Chelsea's wastefulness in front of goal has meant they've been unable
to match the standards set by Premier League winners Manchester City and
Liverpool in recent seasons.
Only six teams had a lower shot conversion rate than Chelsea in the Premier
League last season and three of those sides were relegated. Only four sides
had a poorer return on their Expected Goals figure.
Under Tuchel's watch Wolves, Manchester United, Leeds, Brighton, and Arsenal
all shut out Chelsea, despite the Blues dominating the shot count in each
game except the one with Brighton.
It added up to a frustrating picture for Tuchel. The team were creating good
moments but not taking their chances.
Timo Werner was the chief culprit last season, with the forward scoring just
21 per cent of his clear-cut chances, the second worst return from any
player presented with more than 10 big openings.
His situation is an enigmatic one, given how impressive his scoring record
had been in Germany but, after a couple of bad misses for his country at
Euro 2020, a recent friendly with Arsenal suggested his finishing still
hasn't clicked into gear.
But he's not alone. Tammy Abraham has shone in glimpses but not regularly
enough to convince Tuchel. Olivier Giroud, who had come up with key goals
for the club, has left for AC Milan. Kai Havertz - their Champions League
final hero - has bags of potential but is still to prove he can do it
consistently in the Premier League.
It's a problem which stretches back as far as 2017, when Diego Costa left
the club.
But Chelsea supporters will believe they have their new star striker now. Or
should that be their old one?
Lukaku - 10 years after he first joined Chelsea from Anderlecht - is every
inch the world class finisher they need to get their hands back on the
Premier League trophy.
Since failing to impress at Stamford Bridge first time around, the Belgian
has been nothing but prolific. He scored 87 goals in 166 games for Everton,
and after a last-minute move to Manchester United when a Chelsea return
seemed on the cards in 2017, he scored 42 times in 96 appearances for the
Old Trafford club.
Despite that conversion rate, his time at United was seen as something of a
disappointment. But critics who pounced on his poor touch or struggles
against the rest of the Big Six were far quieter last season when his 24
goals in Serie A took Inter Milan to the Italian title.
At 28, Chelsea are getting a Lukaku in his pomp - and, although he'll play
it down, he has a point to prove.
Some may look at how Manchester City won the Premier League last season and
suggest the importance of an out-and-out No 9 is on the decline.
But whoever was pulling the trigger in Pep Guardiola's team, they were far
sharper than Chelsea's forwards.
City scored with 19.5 per cent of their efforts at goal in 2020/21, the
third best return in the league. They also out-performed their Expected
Goals figure by 14.1, with only Tottenham topping that.
It led to them scoring 83 goals in total - twenty-five more than Chelsea.
Never mind the eventual 19-point difference between the sides in the league,
that goal gap is a telling one and the issue Tuchel must address if Chelsea
are to get back into title contention.
With Lukaku now in his ranks, Chelsea finally have the firepower to go
toe-to-toe with England's best over the full 10-month campaign.
If they can get the supply lines right - and with the wealth of creativity
in the club that should be achievable - Chelsea have a strong chance of
adding more silverware to their collection come the Premier League's final
day in May.
Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez says Romelu Lukaku's £97.5m move to
Chelsea from Inter Milan is fantastic and will improve Thomas Tuchel's side.
Chelsea's summer transfers
In
Marcus Bettinelli - Fulham, free
Out
Fikayo Tomori - AC Milan, £25m
Willy Caballero - contract expired
Izzy Brown - contract expired
Jamal Blackman - contract expired
Pierre Ekwah Elimby - West Ham, undisclosed
Danilo Pantic - Partizan Belgrade, undisclosed
Nathan Baxter - Hull, loan
Billy Gilmour - Norwich City, loan
Victor Moses - Spartak Moscow, undisclosed
Juan Castillo - Birmingham, loan
Olivier Giroud - AC Milan, undisclosed
Marc Guehi - Crystal Palace, undisclosed
Lewis Bate - Leeds, undisclosed
Henry Lawrence - AFC Wimbledon, loan
Tino Livramento - Southampton, undisclosed
Jamie Cumming - Gillingham, loan
Jack Wakely - Wycombe, free
Ian Maatsen - Coventry, loan
Chelsea's opening fixtures
August
14: Crystal Palace (h) - 3pm
22: Arsenal (a) - 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
28: Liverpool (a) - 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
September
11: Aston Villa (h) - 3pm
18: Tottenham (a) - 3pm
25: Manchester City (h) - 3pm
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