So, here we are, at the mid-point of the Premier League season. 19 games in, what do we know about Chelsea? First things first, they are right in the middle of the standings, sitting 10th in the league.
The Blues easily had their worst campaign in a long-time last time around. Thomas Tuchel was surprisingly sacked few games into the new season and his successor Graham Potter had one of the most nightmarish spells a Chelsea manager has ever had.
He was eventually let go and Frank Lampard was appointed as an interim manager. Upon the conclusion of the season, the West London club decided to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as the man to take the club forward.
So, have Chelsea improved under the former Tottenham boss this season? The answer is a resounding yes! The Blues have definitely been better under Pochettino, but the results have still been dicey. 25 points after 19 games with seven wins, four draws and eight losses and a goal difference of just two is not what you expect from a club of such stature.
Having spent more than £1 billion on transfers in the last couple of seasons alone, the new owners have made it very clear that they are not spending-shy. That said, a lot depends on how you invest your money, and we are not sure the Blues have gone about it in the best way possible.
The fact that Chelsea still find themselves without a reliable shot-stopper or a striker despite spending so much money is clear evidence that it has not been money well spent. That said, there have been some interesting purchases which make a lot of sense for the future, and we will have to wait for them to realize their true potential.
The Blues, under Mauricio Pochettino had a massive clear-out in the summer. Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Christian Pulisic, Eduardo Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu, Callum Hudson-Odoi, N’golo Kante, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Abdul Rahman Baba all left the club permanently.
There were a few loan departures too. Romelu Lukaku Diogo Moreira, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, Gabriel Slonina, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Angelo all of left on loan-deals. Not all of them have a future at Chelsea and many names on this list might be shipped out permanently come the summer.
Chelsea also had a huge list of players coming in for substantial fees. A few of them have hit the ground running but a few of them are still struggling to adapt to the league.
Now that we are the mid-way point of the season, ASBTF attempts to rank the Blues’ summer signings from worst to best, as of today.
9. Romeo Lavia
Nothing against Lavia here but he has to be placed this low due to the fact that he has missed the entirety of the first half of the season with an injury. The former Southampton midfield made his debut for the Blues against Everton in their 19th game of the Premier League season and has not played enough.
There is no doubt in our minds though that if the same list was being made at the end of the campaign, then Lavia would have definitely made his way up the rungs. Expected the talented midfielder to be a crucial part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans for the rest of the season, provided he stays fit.
8. Lesley Ugochukwu
Let’s be honest here. Not many of us expected Ugochukwu to play a starring role at Chelsea this season but he started this season on a very good note. The midfielder’s first few performances in a Blues shirt were very promising.
Sadly, for him though, he has suffered injury setbacks ever since and has been unable to regain full fitness. Just when it looked like he would be back, Mauricio Pochettino revealed that he had suffered another relapse and is set to be out for longer. There is talent but it might take some time for him to realise his potential at Stamford Bridge.
7. Moises Caicedo
Hold on, listen to what we have to say! Moises Caicedo has simply failed to turn up in a Chelsea shirt since his £115m move from Brighton & Hove Albion. The fact that he is ranked so high on the list is largely down to his performances in relativity to the fee that Chelsea paid for him.
Mauricio Pochettino has chosen to be very patient with the Ecuadorian. We all know how good the midfielder can be, having seen his performances for the Seagulls and in the World Cup last year. Unfortunately though, Caicedo at Chelsea looks like a pale shadow of his former self. At this point, it looks like Liverpool dodged a bullet, but the Blues will be desperate for him to have a better second half to the season.
6. Christopher Nkunku
Much like Romeo Lavia, we have no doubts that Nkunku will feature much later in this list, should we be doing this again at the end of the season. The fact that he features at sixth, despite having hardly played minutes has to do with the insane ability that he is already showcasing in a Blues shirt.
The former PSG man started the pre-season like a man on the mission. Sadly, his debut was delayed due to a cruel injury. Since making a comeback from the issue, Nkunku already has his first goal in a Blues shirt and looks very promising. He made his first start in the 19th game of the season against Everton and linked up brilliantly with Mykhaylo Mudryk. We can only see his Chelsea career progressing in one direction from here.
5. Robert Sanchez
When Chelsea signed Robert Sanchez from Brighton, they expected him to be a backup to Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard left the club abruptly though when Real Madrid came calling and Sanchez was thrown into the deep end. That should not have been an issue considering his prior experience of playing in the league for the Seagulls.
Sanchez has been poor though, to say the least. He always seems to have an error in him and does not seem suited to playing out from the back. It’s not a surprise that Roberto de Zerbi didn’t rate his ball playing abilities, benching him in favour of Jason Steele last season. Despite having several chances in this first half of the season, he has failed to convince. To add the icing on the cake, he is currently injured.
4. Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson has missed so many chances for Chelsea this season. The silver lining is that he has found himself in positions to miss these chances. in what has been a rollercoaster few months at Stamford Bridge, the Senegal striker already has a Premier League hattrick against his name and yet, he has frustrated the Blues fanbase.
It must be remembered that Nicolas Jackson is very young. Missing chances is something that is natural at this age. It’s not his fault that he has been entrusted to spearhead the attack instead of being an able deputy to a more experience #9 from whom he can learn from. Excellent off the ball, especially in his pressing, Jackson can only get better from here. Chelsea must not lose faith in him.
3. Djordje Petrovic
The fact that Petrovic finds himself so far ahead in this list despite having hardly played games is largely down to his penalty heroics against Newcastle United that have given Chelsea a realistic chance of winning a trophy this season. In the small sample size that we have, Petrovic has proven to be more reliable than Robert Sanchez.
‘Making the most of someone’s misfortune’ is a saying that could perfectly encapsulate Petrovic’s tryst with Chelsea. The fact that he is even here has to do with Thibaut Courtois’ long-term injury at Real Madrid. He is now making the most of an issue to Sanchez and making a case for him to be a starter ahead of the Spaniard. Impressive from the Serbian lad.
2. Axel Disasi
Even Axel Disasi would not have expected to play as much as he in the Premier League so far this season. Brought in as an emergency signing in the aftermath of injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, the French defender has really impressed in the backline.
Disasi has filled in at centre-back and left-back this season. Although he has made a mistake or two, he has been largely solid for most parts of his Chelsea career so far. He has superseded expectations and will continue to be a crucial part of Pochettino’s plans going forward this season.
1. Cole Palmer
One of Chelsea’s last signings of the summer and arguably their best so far, it helped that the Blues’ £42.5m capture of the Manchester City youth star went rather under the radar. With eight goals and five assists in 23 appearances so far this season, the English youngster has already showcased his class.
At the time of writing this piece, Palmer is miles clear of any other summer signing that the Blues made. He has salvaged Chelsea’s season to a large extent so far. With the returning star cast of Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia and a resurgent Mykhaylo Mudryk, expect Palmer to grow from strength to strength going forward this season and beyond.