Premier League Team Guides: Chelsea
Before becoming a Sports Journalist for Free Super Tips, Aaron spent three years studying Sports Journalism at the University of Sunderland while taking in the Black Cats' 'glory years' under Martin O'Neill. Now back in Northern Ireland he turns niche stats into predictions for FST, while he's one of the few people on this island who is equally comfortable at Windsor Park and the Aviva.
This article is part of our team-by-team guide to the 2025/26 Premier League season. Click here for the full list of team guides.
Team overview
- League Position: 4th
- FA Cup: Fourth round
- EFL Cup: Fourth round
- UEFA Conference League: Winners
- Top scorer: Cole Palmer (15)
Season review
Enzo Maresca wasn’t necessarily a popular choice when he was named as Chelsea boss last summer but after a successful first season in charge he has won the fanbase over.
The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League and will be back in the Champions League next term after a two-year absence.
Chelsea also claimed the Conference League trophy, despite largely treating the competition as a distraction for much of the campaign, to end a two-year spell without silverware, although their wait for more domestic success continues with their last win on home soil coming in the 2018 FA Cup.
Cole Palmer enjoyed a sensational debut campaign with Chelsea in 2023/24 and he was once again the star man at Stamford Bridge, managing a decent haul of 15 goals in 46 games across all competitions.
Pedro Neto enjoyed a strong first season with the club after his summer arrival from Wolves, while the emergence of Noni Madueke as a key man was another plus point for Chelsea.
After defeat to Manchester City in the opening round of fixtures, Chelsea remained unbeaten until a defeat to Liverpool in October, and after moving into the top five in the fifth round of games, they only dropped out of the top six once. For a period, Chelsea were involved in the title battle but a run of just two wins in 10 games from the end of December to the end of February meant they were battling for Champions League qualification rather than overall glory in the second half of the season.
The Blues struggled in the domestic cup competitions, losing to Brighton in the FA Cup and eventual champions Newcastle in the EFL Cup, but dominated in Europe’s third-tier competition. Chelsea became the second English winner of the Conference League after a near-perfect run. The Blues beat Servette 3-2 on aggregate in a qualification play-off, then won all six league phase games and five of their six knockout fixtures before thrashing Real Betis 4-1 in the final in Wroclaw.
Maresca rotated his team throughout much of the competition but named a strong starting side for the final.
Overall, Chelsea will be happy with their season after securing a return to the top four and a piece of silverware but they will be expecting further improvements next year.
Key stat: Chelsea had the third-best defence in the Premier League with 43 goals conceded. They shipped 64 in the 2023/24 season.
Transfer window preview
Chelsea are back in the Champions League and should have a sizeable transfer budget this summer as a result of being back at Europe’s top table.
Ecuador sensation Kendry Paez agreed to join Chelsea way back in 2023 and he will link up with the club this summer from Independiente del Valle in his homeland/.
Bashir Humphreys is the first departure as he has been signed by newly-promoted Burnley in a £10million deal, but there should be a few more exits in the months ahead. Raheem Sterling seems likely to move on after spending the season on loan at Arsenal, with the forward out of contract next summer.
Joao Felix is another big name who seems destined to depart after his temporary spell with AC Milan. The 25-year-old is a target for Benfica, six years after leaving the Lisbon club for Atletico Madrid. Jadon Sancho won’t be making a permanent move to Stamford Bridge after the club opted to pay a fee to back out of their obligation to sign him from Manchester United following a underwhelming loan stint.
Chelsea have their eyes on a couple of Bundesliga stars as both Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike continue to be linked with moves to west London.
Outright odds: 20/1
Top 4 odds: 2/1
Champions League: 16/1
Key 2025/26 Premier League fixtures
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace – 17th Aug, 2025
Chelsea vs Fulham – 30th Aug, 2025
Chelsea vs Liverpool – 8th Oct, 2025
Tottenham vs Chelsea – 1st Nov, 2025
Chelsea vs Arsenal – 29th Nov, 2025
Chelsea vs Aston Villa – 27th Dec, 2025
Chelsea vs Bournemouth – 30th Dec 2025
Manchester City vs Chelsea – 3rd Jan, 2026
Fulham vs Chelsea – 7th Jan, 2026
Arsenal vs Chelsea – 28th Feb, 2026
Chelsea vs Manchester City – 11th April, 2026
Chelsea vs Tottenham – 17th May, 2026
Sunderland vs Chelsea – 24th May, 2026
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