Bold predictions for Chelsea and the Premier League in 2020/21

Who will be Chelsea’s signing of the season?

Vansh: Hakim Ziyech. This man will take the league by storm. Premier League isn’t ready for this.

Scott: Timo Werner. I think Timo Werner is going to provide a very consistent source of goals up top. And looking at our recent past that’s when Chelsea are most dangerous to their opposition and teams surrounding them in the table. Those goals up top will be vital in Chelsea’s success this coming season.

Varun: Hakim Ziyech. The second coming of Juan Mata who will destroy every low block that every existed.

Matthew: Timo Werner. Werner is in an interesting position. Out of all the new arrivals he should find it easiest to slot into the side. After all the player he is replacing in the starting XI, Tammy Abraham, managed 18 league goals himself last season. As such Werner should be capable of getting into golden boot territory. He was one of the most prolific goal scorers in Europe last season and will have the likes of Ziyech and Havertz supplying him with endless opportunities to continue his fine form.

Gabe: Hakim Ziyech. Ziyech is going to be the glue that holds everything together. Further, as the first signing in the most luxurious window in club history, the Moroccan is often forgotten or at least under-appreciated. He showed flashes of what he brings to the team this season in the pre-season friendly against Brighton. Ziyech will challenge for playmaker, but can also score some other worldly goals. His versatility—in terms of position and skills—will prove to be massive for a team that has struggled to break down defenses at times over the last few years. As any new signing coming from another league, there are concerns as to how his game will translate, but luckily, he relies on finesse and not physicality. He may be a bit older and have less world class experience than signings like Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, but Ziyech will still play a massive role this season as he transitions flawlessly into his new team.

Nate Hofmann: Thiago Silva. Honestly, he could make a major impact without ever playing a match for Chelsea. Last season’s center back issues were based on mentality as much as ability. The instability caused by flagging form and a merry-go-round of injuries—not to mention a devastatingly unreliable goalkeeper behind them—led to mental lapses on the field that caused Chelsea to drop points that should never have been in doubt.

The Maurizio Sarri era at Chelsea was a mess in several ways, and his mismanagement of several key players in the squad will be one of his lasting legacies. Gary Cahill is chief among them. What Sarri couldn’t disrupt, however, was Cahill’s wealth of experience at the very highest levels of the game, and his position as a leader in the dressing room. The right type of veterans can change a team even when they aren’t significant contributors on the field. Thiago Silva could very much fit that archetype.

Silva will certainly play more than Cahill did under Sarri, but he does look to be a square peg in a round hole as far as fitting into Lampard’s tactics. Whether an old dog like Silva can learn new tricks at the ripe old age of 36 remains to be seen, but his presence in the squad will absolutely improve the defensive mentality of the squad, even if it’s through his words more than his actions. Ideally, he’s 2014-15 John Terry. At worst, he’s 2016-17 John Terry. Either one would be greatly appreciated.

Nathaniel Kay: Thiago Silva. Of course, all the plaudits will go towards the Werner’s and the Ziyech’s for their outstanding attacking partnership. Yet, it is the guile and grit of Silva that turns the Chelsea defense from a shivering wreck into a lean, mean fighting machine. He does a John Terry in 2014/15, showing no signs that his age will be a hindrance. He forms a firm partnership with whomever he is placed besides, and even pops up with the occasional crucial goal to win the Blues a few points.

Wilfred: Kai Havertz. Boring, but true. Put simply, Havertz is the kind of player that, without this summer’s very specific circumstances, Chelsea wouldn’t be able to buy. Any other year, the German teenager is on his way to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Manchester City. Somehow, this mix of Michael Ballack and Eden Hazard is at the Bridge. Get ready for his reign.

Michael: Timo Werner. One thing that Chelsea has been missing for so many seasons is a striker who scores week in, week out, and they seem to have finally found that in Timo Werner. Some consider the Bundesliga to be a farmer’s league, but the top teams are very strong, and Werner has always performed well in the big moments. The new number 11 already showed his knack for finding the back of the net in the pre-season friendly against Brighton, and surely that’s only a taste of things to come. Werner should be near the top of the scoring charts, hopefully winning the golden boot. If he can’t perform well, Lampard wouldn’t hesitate to give Tammy Abraham his starting spot back, so Werner will have to put up big numbers, and fast.

Olaoluwa: Hakim Ziyech. Ziyech fulfills many of Chelsea’s needs this season. Especially with the loss of Willian. Ziyech is an expert free kick taker, has a wicked cross. He can finish chances as well as create them. He has the work rate required of attackers in a Chelsea and Lampard setup. Ziyech is by far Chelsea’s most creative player and he will be the go to man whenever Chelsea hits a snag in a game. He will singlehandedly win Chelsea points this season.

Abhishek: Timo Werner. Even though Kai Havertz is the big ticket item in Chelsea’s shopping trolley, it will be Werner’s goals that will form the basis of Chelsea’s title challenge. The German international striker will surprise defenders with his blistering pace and his knack for finding space in and around the box, leaving them disoriented as he opens the scoring yet again. Werner will end up with 20 plus goals in the league, with another 10 or so in the cup competitions. Playing off Tammy Abraham or on his own, the German will be the most devastating weapon in Chelsea’s armory.

Kevin: The goalkeeper for the kick up the (insert fruity language) it gives Arrizabalaga.

Charlie: Hakim Ziyech. This is hard to answer because Chelsea have signed so many brilliant players but the Moroccan will be the stand out. He provides Chelsea with two things that they have lacked for years: a set piece specialist and a quality left footed attacker. His ability to open up the pitch from the right flank will be vital to Chelsea as it gives the team so many more options. Whether he is whipping crosses to the back post for Christian Pulisic or finding the net from range himself, Ziyech will run the show for Chelsea.

Vishnu: Thiago Silva. Goals have been hard to come by for Chelsea last season. Even though Olivier Giroud’s return to starting 11 saw that improving, the introduction of Werner will provide the killer instinct. Havertz and Ziyech will also have a big say in that end of Chelsea. But the end Chelsea suffered the most is at the back. They had one of the worst defensive records of any top teams in Europe. Despite trying out every combination possible, none of their center backs provided consistency. The form of Kepa Arrizabalaga didn’t do any favors either. Thiago Silva is a proven winner and leader. Despite his age, the champions league final showed why he is still one of the best. If the defense can sort it out, it well naturally reflects in the other end where they only need to worry about scoring.

Barrett: Thiago Silva. Free and likely going to make a huge difference to the overall play of the squad. A good defense makes your attack better because they have more confidence and the ability to take chances. He will immediately improve the Blues and show them what they have been missing for far too long.

Oliver: Thiago Silva without a shadow of a doubt. The veteran defender joining the Blues will give them the stability, experience and accountability that the defense has lacked since Gary Cahill left the club. Chelsea have always had that one talismanic defender (and in Championship winning sides it’s been at least two) and Silva is the man. Antonio Rudiger has looked out of sorts while Cesar Azpilicueta (and I hate to say this) might be running out of steam just a tad but that is also because “Dave” has been asked to do everything for the past seven years or so and done so impeccably. Silva will add some fight to a back line that desperately needs it, expect him to bring out the best in the defense and Kepa Arrizabalaga too.

Yi Hao: Thiago Silva. As much as Chelsea’s attack underperformed their xG for last term, the -12 differential between their xG against and the actual amount of goals conceded is perhaps the biggest reason why Lampard’s men finished the campaign on just 66 points. As much as this can be attributed to Kepa’s poor form, Chelsea’s backline has not covered themselves in glory either. The intelligence and leadership a 36-year-old Silva would provide is hence invaluable and should the Brazilian prove that he can indeed perform at anywhere near the levels he displayed in Paris, a marked improvement in the goals against column should likewise be expected this upcoming season.

Travis: Unless Declan Rice signs, Timo Werner will steal the show up top. He will end up playing in a variety of attacking shapes and with several different teammates around him, but he will be the one that is the constant as he finds the net again and again.