Bold predictions for Chelsea and the Premier League in 2022/23
10. What will be the biggest threat to Chelsea’s season?
Abhishek: Players who would rather not be here, being here, and bringing down the whole vibe. Anyone who does not want to play for the club should be calling up the people at their preferred destination and imploring them to show us the money.
Anthony: Arsenal. Arsenal beat Chelsea when it was considered “bad,” so what will happen when the Gunners are good? I genuinely think Chelsea will be battling for fourth with Arsenal. The Gunners’ signings so far on paper look a lot better than the Blues’. They now have legitimate goal scorer in Gabriel Jesus, which they didn’t have last season, and their entire team has improved from defense to attack. I have doubts in Mikel Arteta as a manager, but he is has really good young squad to his disposal and I think they will surprise a lot of people. Hopefully not at Chelsea’s expense.
Barrett: It’s Antonio Conte’s Tottenham. I hate that but it’s true. Conte is the best manager I have ever seen and Tottenham is indulging every single wish he has this year. His strike force is a perfect fit for him and he’s had a full preseason, as well. I also think the amount that we depend on Thiago Silva is worrying. He’s amazing and I literally love him, but if anything goes wrong, that’s a huge issue. He and N’Golo Kante are still the most important players in the squad.
Bryan: Player ego. I am of the school of thought that Thomas Tuchel’s system isn’t the issue in this squad and that the real concern is that players aren’t committed enough to the team ethos. If Chelsea is going to be successful this season, it will be because of a willingness of the squad to put individual stats aside and upgrade the vibes exponentially. If the locker room can’t connect and attitudes boil over, this squad could finish as low as seventh.
Caden: Themselves. While a few teams are going to be too talented for the Blues, individual mistakes have killed them, especially last season. If this trend continues, Chelsea is going to be its own worst enemy, preventing all the success that the club desires.
Gabe: Chelsea seemingly shoots itself in the foot a couple of times every year. Is it going to be any different this time around? Todd Boehly has provided Thomas Tuchel with some improvements to the team, hopefully that helps cure this issue long-term.
Leighton: Thank God not a lot of club football will be played during the month of December because December has been a woeful month in the past.
Mike: I can’t stand Jurgen Klopp’s nit-picky complaints, so I’ll do my best not to emulate the Liverpool manager here. The biggest threat to this Chelsea season is continued disorganization as a result of the sale to Todd Boehly, in my opinion. The Blues will need to be operating at the highest level both as a team and as a club if they are going to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title, but transition periods nearly always include unforeseen complications. Boehly and his consortium dealing with these issues will be crucial in allowing the squad to be successful on the pitch.
Nate: The Chelsea Twittersphere. It’s a bit silly to think that the impossibly toxic world of ‘ChelsTwit’ won’t funnel back to the players at some point. Unfortunately, I think Raheem Sterling’s status as a well-spoken social justice figure is just the sort of target that Chelsea’s most vile and reprehensible “supporters” will take aim at the minute he or the team hits a rough patch. Anonymous trolls hurling racist abuse at a player who could be Chelsea’s standout contributor might cascade into a collapse of form and morale in the squad.
Olaoluwa: Still decision making in the final third. Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech were two of the Blues’ most efficient forwards last season. They played very little and produced a relatively high amount. The rest of the forwards and even midfielders have generally poor decision making skills, which is why the Blues have been having chance creation issues for several years running.
Tom: The monumental funding of Newcastle United. The Magpies will eventually redefine the big six drastically. Whether upheaval is next season or in five years, nobody knows.
Travis: A poor preseason can quickly be forgotten with results, so anything less than 12 points (assuming good performances, as well) before the transfer window shuts will cast a dark cloud over the rest of the season. Similar to that, if Thomas Tuchel starts calling out players like he did after the Arsenal preseason loss, it won’t be long before their loyalty post Champions League win turns into rapid disdain and that only ever ends one way at Chelsea.
Varun: Timo Werner leaving and taking his accidental comedy with him. The man knows how to make people laugh, be it on or off the field—just watch Werner’s day in Universal. His departure will suck the joy out of the squad and threaten the entire season.
Yi Hao: Injuries to any of Chelsea’s key midfielders. Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are top, top players on their day. With the Blues’ recruitment so focused on both the defence and attack, any long-term injuries in midfield could severely derail Chelsea’s season.