Chelsea's road ahead: What the Barrow result means for season

Chelsea can compete for silverware on all fronts

With an expensively assembled squad packed with young, talented players, Maresca has the team to challenge for at least one trophy this season. While dethroning Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Manchester City remains a daunting task, especially in the Premier League, the recent injury to Rodri during City's clash with Arsenal offers a glimmer of hope to those chasing the title. However, Liverpool and Mikel Arteta's defensively solid Arsenal are also lurking as serious contenders.

Still, with the depth and quality Chelsea possess this season, they have every reason to fight until the very end in all competitions. The most straightforward path to silverware on paper may be the newly rebranded Conference League, where Chelsea are the bookmakers' favourites to lift the trophy.

The FA Cup, which kicks off later in the season, presents another opportunity for Maresca to secure a trophy in his first year at Stamford Bridge. With the talent and squad depth at his disposal, there’s no reason why Chelsea can’t push for success on multiple fronts.

Chelsea getting closer to another Wembley return

Chelsea may not be the outright favourites to win the EFL Cup, but if history is any indication, they certainly know the road to Wembley. The Blues have been EFL Cup runners-up three times in recent years — in 2019, 2022, and 2024 — and have also endured heartache in the FA Cup, losing the finals in 2020, 2021, and 2022 to Arsenal, Leicester, and Liverpool, respectively.

Despite their recent bad luck at Wembley, where their last cup triumph came in 2018 against Manchester United in the FA Cup, Chelsea will be hungry to turn their fortunes around. With a squad this deep and a wealth of talent to call on, the Blues will be eager for another shot at glory on the big stage at the home of English football.