6. Who will be a surprise player for Chelsea this season?
Abhishek: Timo Werner. Despite a statistically successful debut season, Werner failed to live up to his billing as a prolific goalscorer. Now that the burden of expectation has been passed to the incoming Lukaku, the German forward will find his feet and thrive playing alongside the big Belgian. Most people would be surprised to see Werner score 20-plus goals this season; I won’t be one of them.
Anthony: Timo Werner. We all know Werner has blistering pace and seems to always play a part in any game he plays, but hopefully his finishing will improve this season. If it does, he will prove why Chelsea bought him in the first place. With the arrival of Lukaku, Werner has nowhere to hide anymore and won’t be chosen frequently like last season if he doesn’t perform.
Akshat: Callum Hudson-Odoi. Fit, hungry and nearing his best, Hudson-Odoi will be the surprise of the season in the entire league—let alone for Chelsea. The youngster was earmarked as one of the most threatening players in the league recently by The Athletic, and I believe he will be able to convert that threat into tangible results this season.
Barrett: Timo Werner and Reece James. Not much of a surprise because both of them were excellent last year, they’ll both have better seasons than the last.
Daniel: Hakim Ziyech. He struggled in his first year to really make an impact, with big goals here and there, but he is due to set the season alight. Dirk Kuyt is quoted as saying Eredivisie players need a year to adapt and Ziyech has had his adaptation period, he will surprise Chelsea fans for the better this year.
Gabe: Andreas Christensen. Christensen has quietly put in two incredible seasons in a row and not gotten much recognition for it. Thiago Silva is continuing to age, expect the Dane—coming off a great tournament at Euro 2020—to fill some big shoes this season. Christensen will nail down his place as a regular in Tuchel’s starting XI.
Kevin: Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spanish keeper spent most of last season watching Edouard Mendy excel, and he did so quietly and respectfully. He will get his chance for a run of games in January and February when Mendy departs for the AFCON. EPL Games against Manchester City and Tottenham, as well as potential League and FA Cup ties, will provide Arrizabalaga the chance of regaining the No. 1 spot.
Leighton: Timo Werner. After a very difficult start to life in England, I believe this season he will come good and with adjustments made to VAR, Werner will score plenty of goals when being called upon.
Mike: Hakim Ziyech is a decent shout in this category. The Moroccan wizard had a spectacular preseason, scoring twice against Tottenham in the Blues’ final friendly on August 4, and is making a serious push to contribute following a difficult season in 2020/21. Chelsea’s plethora of attacking talent could make minutes hard to come by, but Ziyech’s skill is beyond reproach.
Nate: Hakim Ziyech. I’ll gladly label myself as an eternal skeptic of Ziyech’s ability to be a regular contributor at Chelsea, which is why I’m bracing myself for him to suddenly find his footing and go on a tear. It might be to the detriment of the development of players like Havertz and Hudson-Odoi, but it would be a boon for the likes of Lukaku and Werner.
Olaoluwa: Timo Werner has been written off by the Chelsea fanbase, not just as a finisher, but as a forward overall. As impactful as Werner was last season, everyone expects him to be tossed to the sidelines due to the arrival of Lukaku. Werner will come back so strong that people would wonder if we needed to even buy Lukaku.
Olly: Very tempting to say Trevoh Chalobah here, but this one is going to Hakim Ziyech. We have seen flashes of the Moroccan winger, but never the consistency we saw at Ajax. With injuries in the review view mirror once his shoulder recovers, and his place in the line-up under question, Ziyech will start slowly but end the year with his wonder of a left peg, striking fear into the hearts of all defences.
Travis: Cesar Azpilicueta. Far, far too many “predicted XIs” have excluded the captain for Jules Kounde (despite his signing still in the air). They say those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it and calls of Azpilcueta’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. So long as Chelsea continues with back three (and honestly, even if it doesn’t given how Spain used him), Azpilicueta will remain a starter this season no matter what.
Yi Hao: Callum Hudson-Odoi. Having largely failed to kick on since his debut season under Maurizio Sarri, this season looks like the one which could see the young English winger establish himself as a constant starter. Hudson-Odoi has looked sharper and fitter than ever in preseason. Not being involved in the Euros this summer could provide him a vital head-start to the season.
Vansh: Ruben Loftus-Cheek. It looks like Loftus-Cheek will stay with the squad for the season as the fourth option in midfield. The world has forgotten about this man, and I can’t wait for him to announce himself in spectacular fashion, again.
Varun: Hakim Ziyech. He’s statically creative (even if it doesn’t seem that way via eye tests), he rises to the big occasions and he’s had a great preseason. This is Ziyech’s redemption story (and mine since he was my signing of the season last year).