Bold predictions for Chelsea and the Premier League in 2022/23
5. Where will Chelsea finish in all competitions? (Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup)
Abhishek: Third, quarterfinalists, winners, runners-up
Anthony: Fourth, semifinalists, winners, winners
Barrett: Fourth, winners, winners, “something embarrassing”
Bryan: Third, quarterfinalists, winners, winners
Caden: Third, semifinalists, winners, runners-up
Gabe: Fourth, semifinalists, winners, semifinalists
Leighton: Second, winners, winners, quarterfinalists
Mike: Fifth, round of 16, winners, quarterfinalists
Nate: Fifth, group stage (Europa League winners), semifinalists, winners
Olaoluwa: Fourth, semifinalists, winners, winners
Tom: Third, runners-up, semifinalists, quarterfinalists
Travis: Third, quarterfinalists, winners, semifinalists
Varun: Second, winners, winners, winners
Yi Hao: Second, quarterfinalists, winners, winners
6. What is considered a successful season for Chelsea?
Abhishek: A comfortable qualification for next season’s Champions League, and maybe a trophy to add to Thomas Tuchel’s ever-growing collection. Regardless of what happens with the centerback situation, Todd Boehly and Co. will expect their new club to remain in the top four places throughout the season without ever looking in danger of missing out on the lucre of top tier European football.
Anthony: Winning domestic titles and challenging in Europe. With this current squad at the moment, I don’t see us being competitive in the league. Chelsea will finish fourth and possibly fall out of the top four if Arsenal reaches a different level.
Barrett: A successful year for Chelsea is finishing off the transition to the new regime and giving everyone a breather to just focus on football again. Not politics, not economics, not anything other than what they’re supposed to do. We’ll likely see a few weeks where the club breathes out and relaxes and probably get smacked, but then they’ll get down to just being a well-run club again.
Bryan: New owners should involve some patience. Chelsea qualifying for UCL and being competitive in the late stages of the domestic cups (semifinals) should be considered a very successful season. This club is trending up, but it’ll take time to get to the finished product.
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Caden: Tough question to be honest, but in reality, a top four finish and at least a domestic trophy (FA Cup). With the way Chelsea has lost the FA Cup final the past three years, there is no excuse the club should not win the competition this season. Champions League is a bonus, but the Blues always seem to show up in this competition, especially Tuchel.
Gabe: I think it’s easy to look at this season and immediately compare it to Frank Lampard’s first year at the helm due to all of the off-field issues that have crept their way onto the pitch in the last few months. The expectations should be low. Of course, this is Chelsea we’re talking about here, so low is a relative term. Depending on the spending situation (the Blues have signed just four players at the time of publishing) and the squad, a comfortable season can be judged by where Chelsea finishes in the Premier League. Fourth or fifth is successful, although the latter must be accompanied by a trophy and deep cup runs to be deemed any sort of success.
Leighton: The Blues were not a million miles off second place Liverpool last season. The Reds never beat Chelsea in four 90-minute matches (two league, two cup finals). A one-place improvement in the league and a couple of trophies along the way could be considered a successful season.
Mike: That is a tremendous question. I think, despite how silly this sounds to some fans, the vibes around the club at the end of the season will be a better barometer for success than position in the league table or number of trophies. This time of transition is going to be difficult, so Chelsea continuing to operate as an elite European football club, both on and off the pitch, is crucial for me.
Nate: Unless Chelsea nails the second half of the transfer window, we’re talking about a squad that has just about made up for its departures, while the clubs who were hot on the Blues’ tail at the end of the season have both improved significantly. That being the case, a top four finish would be enough to establish a bit of firm footing for this new regime to continue to build upon, with the understanding that this is Liverpool and Manchester City’s league until they deign to relinquish their iron grip on the top two spots. Right now, the squad just isn’t there, but there’s still time to fix that this summer.
Olaoluwa: An on-point league season or better. The Blues hit 76 points last season, but they have to improve on that this season. Chelsea has lost Antonio Rudiger, a key centerback last season. The Blues have a better centerback in Kalidou Koulibaly now. Tuchel has gotten two key players to add to the squad. Raheem Sterling has also come in, which means that Tuchel now has Sterling, along with every forward he had available to him last season bar Romelu Lukaku.
Tom: This is a momentous, as well as brand new era for the Blues. Looking forward is better than pining for the past. While the rebuild won’t be finished for a couple of years, I expect Chelsea to continue lifting silverware.
Travis: If Chelsea can replicate last season’s form before the Ben Chilwell and Reece James injuries then all will be well and top four will be a matter of when, not if. Ideally, top four feels secure in March, even if the title race is out of reach.
Varun: Finishing comfortably third with any piece of silverware and progressing until at least the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Yi Hao: A couple of cup runs, hopefully a cup win or two, and a top four finish in the Prem would be considered a decent season for Chelsea. At this point of the transfer window, Tuchel is in possession of a squad that is somewhat similar in strength and depth as compared to last season. This season will most probably end in a similar fashion to the one just past.