With a new season comes a new manager and a fresh influx of players; at Chelsea, change seems to be the constant. The big question now is whether these shifts will translate into positive outcomes on the pitch for the 2024-25 season.

Soccer Football – Premier League – Crystal Palace v Chelsea – Selhurst Park, London, Britain – February 12, 2024 Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Chelsea enters their third season under Clearlake ownership with Enzo Maresca as their fourth permanent manager. After leading Leicester City back to the Premier League as Championship winners last season, the Italian will aim to apply his experience to a young Chelsea squad that has undergone significant changes both on and off the pitch in recent years.

When is Chelsea’s first Premier League match?

Chelsea play Manchester City at home in their opening fixture on Sunday, 18th August from 9 pm onwards.

Articles about Chelsea often highlight the immense spending and the frequent use of ‘billion’ to describe the club’s player and staff transactions. The club’s strategies, including exploiting apparent loopholes in the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), have been widely discussed. Despite this, Chelsea remains undeterred, continuing their active involvement in the transfer market with nine new signings and more high-profile departures potentially on the horizon.

1. Adapting to Maresca’s Philosophy: How Soon Will It Click?

The new manager’s approach has attracted significant attention, particularly regarding the style of play showcased during pre-season friendlies. As a product of the Pep Guardiola coaching lineage, Maresca favors a deliberate build-up that involves the goalkeeper in playmaking and a full-back moving into midfield to form a 3-2-5 structure in possession.

Captain Reece James and Malo Gusto have been used in the inverted full-back role, which some argue may not leverage their strengths as conventional right-backs, known for their offensive impact. While it’s early in Maresca’s tenure and he would have preferred more time to implement his tactics, the demands of modern football—exacerbated by the expanded FIFA Club World Cup—mean a full pre-season break for players is unlikely.

Thus, Chelsea players have undergone an intense learning period during their six pre-season friendlies before facing defending champions Manchester City in their season opener on Sunday. This period has been quite tumultuous, resulting in numerous on-field mistakes and, hopefully, swift lessons learned. For Maresca’s team to begin the season in a manner comparable to the form they showed at the end of the 2023-24 season under Mauricio Pochettino, this final week of preparation needs to be exceptional.

2. What Changes Can We Expect from Chelsea This Season Compared to Last?

At this point last year, Mauricio Pochettino was in a similar position to Maresca, working to instill his vision into a young Chelsea squad ahead of the Premier League’s demands.

Chelsea began the season with inconsistency, winning only one of their first five matches (D2 L2). However, their performance improved significantly in the new year, suffering just one defeat in their final 15 league games (W9 D5). The Blues also reached the EFL Cup final and the FA Cup semi-finals, finishing the 2023-24 season with five straight wins to claim sixth place. There are reasons to be optimistic, and it’s possible that this momentum will carry over into the 2024-25 season, despite another summer of changes.

Chelsea is set to embrace a patient, possession-based approach under Maresca. However, a closer examination of last season’s statistics for Chelsea and Leicester reveals that the differences in their playing styles may not be as pronounced as some might expect. Both teams displayed similar patterns in passes per sequence and the speed of their advancement up the pitch.

Given the recent focus on Chelsea’s build-up play and the errors in their pre-season friendlies, one might think they were primarily playing long balls last season and are now being asked to adopt a completely unfamiliar style. However, this isn’t accurate. There’s every reason to believe Chelsea could regain their form and momentum as the season progresses, once Maresca identifies his key players and refines their playing style.

Without the ball, Maresca’s approach differs from Pochettino’s aggressive pressing style used in 2023-24. While comparing a Championship-winning team to a Premier League side can be challenging, statistics show Chelsea averaged more pressed sequences per game (12.2) compared to Leicester (11.3) last season, as well as more high turnovers (Chelsea – 9, Leicester – 7.9). However, Leicester were more effective in converting these opportunities into goals, scoring 12 times (a league-high) compared to Chelsea’s five, though the quality of opposition likely played a role.

Maresca seems to prefer a slightly deeper defensive stance, focusing on regaining possession in the middle third rather than high pressing. Last season, Leicester turned possession over in the middle third 23 times per game, while Chelsea managed 19. This approach aligns with Maresca’s recent comments about his new team’s high line being a natural progression from last season’s tactics, and his efforts to have them operate more defensively when out of possession.

3. Will the Conference League Be a Boon or a Burden for Chelsea This Season?

A major change for Chelsea this season is their participation in the UEFA Conference League, which will add numerous fixtures and result in a busier schedule. This development could have both positive and negative effects.

The increased number of games will necessitate greater squad rotation and require the manager to rely heavily on the entire squad to maintain strong performances in both the league and cup competitions.

Conversely, this could be an opportunity for young players to experience European football for the first time and gain valuable chances to showcase their abilities as they continue to develop their skills.

All of this suggests that Maresca will need time and patience to find the right balance within his squad while determining his preferred lineup. With players like Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, and Marc Cucurella not being fully ready on the opening day due to busy international summers, and with James suspended for the first three matches, the challenge is significant.

The impact of the Conference League will likely depend on how Maresca approaches it. If he’s hesitant to rotate the squad, key players might face burnout, making them less effective against stronger Premier League opposition.

Given Chelsea’s squad depth, their backup options should, at least theoretically, be strong enough to navigate the group stage of UEFA’s third-tier competition successfully.

4. Key Players to Watch for Chelsea in 2024-25

Christopher Nkunku, despite being signed last summer, will feel like a new addition for Chelsea this season after enduring a string of unfortunate injuries in 2023-24.

The French forward started only two Premier League games last season and made 11 appearances in total (437 minutes), scoring three goals in that brief period. He has also netted three times in pre-season friendlies, indicating he has regained his sharpness ahead of the new campaign.

At 26, Nkunku is already one of the oldest and most experienced players in the Chelsea squad. Having arrived from RB Leipzig with an outstanding reputation and a strong goal involvement record (70 goals and 45 assists in 172 games across all competitions), he is poised to make a significant impact this season.

With yet another chaotic summer full of changes at Chelsea, it’s challenging to predict what might be possible or even realistic for the upcoming season.

Over the last two seasons, 35 different players have made their Premier League debuts for Chelsea—11 more than any other team (excluding promoted sides). More debuts are expected in 2024-25, making it a “wait and see” situation as the Blues progress through the campaign. This uncertainty has been the theme—and arguably the issue—for the past two years.

5. The Evolution of Chelsea’s Defensive Strategy Under Maresca

One of the key talking points for Chelsea in the upcoming season will be how Maresca evolves the team’s defensive strategy. With a squad still adapting to his tactical demands, particularly in terms of sitting deeper and focusing on regaining possession in the middle third, there’s significant curiosity about how this shift will impact their overall performance.

Maresca’s preference for a more controlled, possession-based game contrasts with the high-pressing style that was prevalent under Pochettino. This change could lead to fewer high turnovers but may offer greater defensive solidity, especially against stronger Premier League opponents. How quickly the players adapt to these defensive adjustments, and how effectively they can execute them under pressure, will be crucial to Chelsea’s success this season.

Amid the pressure and constant scrutiny, the new manager faces a daunting task in navigating the season while trying to meet the expectations of both fans and owners.

There will undoubtedly be many ups and downs, with the hope that Maresca is given the time he needs to find his best lineup and maximize the potential of the young talent at his disposal.

However, patience has been scarce at Chelsea for quite some time. In that regard, Maresca may already be facing an uphill battle.