After years of struggles, Chelsea is finally recognizable again. The West London club is in good shape. Their recent form has been a huge positive for all affiliated with the Blues.
With six Premier League games played so far, Chelsea is fifth on the table following three wins and a loss. They are currently second behind Manchester City for most goals scored in the Premier League so far this 2024/25 season. Chelsea has 11 goals whilst City has 13.
At the top of the Premier League table is Manchester City with 13 points. Chelsea in fifth only three points behind the reigning Champions. Among the clubs in the top half of the table, Chelsea is one of the most in-form teams, proving that they may well be serious title contenders with time to come.
Chelsea has not been in a Premier League title fight since their Antonie Conte days. This was back in the 2016/17 season, when they were crowned Premier League Champions for the fifth time in their history.
Formation Change
Chelsea did not start their 2016/17 season as champions did. Their first two months were not ideal. Despite winning their first three games in a row, they went on to draw one and lose two in the following fixtures. The second loss was against London rivals Arsenal, and that was actually the most defining game of the season for Conte’s Blues.
In that game, Chelsea was 3-0 down at halftime. Initially using a 4-1-4-1 and 4-2-4 formation when the season started, Conte switched to a 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 at halftime during that Arsenal game. He adopted that formation for the games to follow, and went on a 13-game winning streak.
Stars Were Ablaze
Whilst Chelsea’s squad was strong, there were some players who really had the spotlight on them.
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard were critical in front of the goal. Costa scored 20 Premier League goals for Chelsea that season, and Hazard wasn’t too far behind with 16.
Not only was Costa a constant threat in front of the goal, but his presence in the final third was crucial, allowing Hazard and Pedro, the two inverted wingers to make something of goal-scoring opportunities.
N’Golo Kanté and Nemanja Matić were two other players that made their mark that season. Kanté, who was already brilliant without Conte, went on to become arguably the best in the world of his position, whilst Matić had his best season ever. With the change in formation that Conte adopted, Matić was able to show his attacking capabilities more and Kanté was able to be the strong defensive midfielder we know him to be.
Influence
Chelsea’s 2016/17 season left a standing effect on football. The back three philosophy made its name with that Conte squad, becoming a more commonly used tool in football after their title win.
The Italian was able to get the most out of every single player he started, completely turning their fates around just two months into the season.
Chelsea finished that season with only five defeats and three draws. Their biggest wins were their 4-0 and 5-0 hidings against Manchester United and Everton respectively, and a 3-1 win against Manchester City.
About eight seasons later, Chelsea finds themself being coached by another Italian. Enzo Maresca has already begun to instill his own unique style into his Chelsea squad. Players who were struggling for a place before Maresca came in are finally proving themselves and already established players are growing in quality.
Whether Chelsea will come out as serious title contenders, only time will tell, but so far, the Blues are looking strong. Consistency will be key for Maresca’s Chelsea moving forward.