It’s back! Another English Premier League season is almost upon us, which means it’s time to postulate about and predict which team is going to finish 2017-18 as champions of England.
And what better team to cast an eye over than Chelsea, the reigning title holders. Antonio Conte’s side was dominant for much of 2016-17, but can they go back-to-back and pull off a second Premier League success in as many years?
It’s a long season ahead but that’s not going to stop football fans all over the globe – and at The Roar – debating whether it’s actually going to happen.
So to kickstart the conversation, we’ve pulled in football expert Mike Tuckerman and Roar Editor Daniel Jeffrey to have their say on Chelsea’s Premier League chances. Once they’ve said their piece, be sure to chime in with your own EPL predictions in the comments section below.
Let’s get to it!
Chelsea’s title defence is going to be a far harder task than capturing the trophy was last season – there’s no question about that. Antonio Conte will have to juggle European competition this time around – a distraction he was blessed to be without last year – and the Blues have a target planted quite firmly on the back of their heads.
Be that as it may, there’s little doubt in my mind that they deserve to head into 2017-18 as favourites.
They were hardly troubled in the latter stages of their previous campaign, setting a record for the most wins in a season on their way to 93 ladder points. And all this came despite an early-season slump which saw them end September in eighth place.
Imagine if Conte had the 3-4-3 formation at his disposal from the start of the season – how comfortable would their victory have been then?
The fact of the matter is few teams, if any, had an answer for Chelsea’s tactical approach and on-field talent during 2016-17. And while everyone has had an entire off-season to analyse potential weaknesses and strengthen their squads, the Blues have had just as much time to continue tinkering and stay ahead of the chasing pack.
(Nazionale Calcio / Flickr)
They’ve also done some good business in the transfer market. With Diego Costa looking increasingly likely to head for the exit door, the signing of Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid looks a good move. Tiemoue Bakayoko and Antonio Rüdiger will also bolster Chelsea’s squad nicely, although they’ve almost certainly paid overs for all three players, who have come at a combined cost of around $240 million.
Of the three, Morata is undoubtedly the key addition. In fact, plenty would argue he’s the key to Chelsea title hopes. The Spaniard didn’t have a wealth of opportunity at Real Madrid and should welcome being the focal point of the Blues’ attack.
If he fits in from the get-go and keeps the Blues’ attack firing without Costa, it’s hard to see anything but another Premier League trophy heading to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have kept much of their title-winning squad together, they have an easy run home (the only other top-four candidate they play in April and May is Liverpool), and they have a proven manager at the helm.
Chelsea won’t win back-to-back English Premier League titles, but it won’t be for a lack of trying.
What’s the one major trophy Antonio Conte has never won as a coach? The UEFA Champions League. Last time Chelsea lifted the trophy in 2012 – with Roberto Di Matteo at the helm – they finished sixth in the league. Such was benefactor Roman Abramovich’s annoyance with their poor domestic form, he sacked both Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas during the course of their EPL campaign.
And while the side from Stamford Bridge has undoubtedly strengthened with the twin signings of Antonio Rüdiger and Alvaro Morata, the Blues may just find their domestic competition too hot to handle as they fight for trophies on multiple fronts.
The question is, who can stop them? Manchester City took the crown as the biggest-spending side of the summer, but will it be enough to stop Conte’s men?
And more to the point, is Pep Guardiola the managerial genius he’s been made out to be? Time will tell. But there’s no doubt the pressure is on after City finished a whopping 15 points behind Chelsea last season.
(AFP photo/Ian Macnicol)
Sandwiched between the two sides last season was Tottenham. They’ve not made a single major signing over the summer, and they won’t have the cacophonous atmosphere of White Hart Lane to call upon either, with Spurs set to play out of Wembley as their venerable old home is fully refurbished.
Could Liverpool finally be set to take the step up in class and provide a genuine title challenge? They’ll need plenty of goals to do so, and they’ll hope one-time Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah can help provide them. The Reds often stumble under the weight of their own history, and much will depend on the charismatic Jürgen Klopp’s ability to get the best out of his squad.
Arsenal – who missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League – will hope new signing Alexandre Lacazette can fire them back into the top tier of Europe, while Manchester United have lured Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof to Old Trafford.
Everton and West Ham look the best of the rest, while Crystal Palace could surprise a few of the established giants with new coach Frank de Boer at the helm.
But ultimately the title is Chelsea’s to lose. And lose it they will – to Manchester City, in my opinion – as they struggle to balance the demands of Europe with the frenetic week-in, week-out action of the EPL.
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