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Chelsea: Three things to look for as Blues begin Premier League hunt

By Travis Tyler

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 08: A general internal view of Etihad Stadium, home stadium of Manchester City under overcast skies featuring the giant LED scoreboard showing Manchester City and Chelsea emblems during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on May 8, 2021 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 08: A general internal view of Etihad Stadium, home stadium of Manchester City under overcast skies featuring the giant LED scoreboard showing Manchester City and Chelsea emblems during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on May 8, 2021 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s English midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (L) sends a shot over the bar during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park in south London on April 10, 2021. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Mike Hewitt / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by MIKE HEWITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s English midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi (L) sends a shot over the bar during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park in south London on April 10, 2021. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Mike Hewitt / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by MIKE HEWITT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

“Fresh” off of winning the Super Cup, Chelsea faces Crystal Palace in their first match of the Premier League. The Blues have a rough start to the season and getting the right result against Palace will go a long ways towards something special at the season’s end. What should fans be looking for in this match?

1. Chelsea on the hunt

Thomas Tuchel was very clear in his prematch press conference that Chelsea is not a title favorite. The Blues finished fourth last season and, not incorrectly, Tuchel mentioned how they needed help from Tottenham to do so. He also noted that Liverpool closed the gap and finished above Chelsea. Champions League winners or not, Tuchel sees Chelsea as hunters instead of hunted.

It’s absolutely the right mindset to have. Regardless of how one feels about how “deserved” the Champions League win was (it was completely deserved), this is still the same team that struggled through the winter. The manager may be different but the team also went from racking up points with Frank Lampard to utter collapse in about a month’s time.

Tuchel might have some understanding of this. Yes, Chelsea won the Champions League. They also finished below Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool by some margin and barely above Leicester City. Tuchel is taking absolutely nothing for granted and he is making no assumptions. In short, he’s doing something Jose Mourinho expertly did for years at Chelsea. Tuchel is convincing himself and his team that they are underdogs.

Historically, Chelsea does their best work when no one expects anything of them. Tuchel, not unlike plenty of managers before him, sees the gaps as something to be closed. Chelsea is on the hunt. How that hunt goes starts with a tired Blues side turning up and getting the job done against a new look Crystal Palace.

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