Chelsea finished second in the Premier League and comfortably beat Barcelona in the Champions League, but can they now be considered real contenders in each competition?
Perhaps more importantly, do people within the club believe they can go all the way?
Enzo Maresca has overseen the Todd Boehly-led consortium’s most stable, successful and promising tenure since its launch in 2022, and there is every opportunity to fuel even greater expectations in the future.
Kabe Solhekol, Chief Correspondent, Sky Sports News We answer key questions about views within Chelsea ahead of their season-defining clash with Arsenal, as well as exactly why wonderkid Estevao chose Stamford Bridge over several other European giants.
Was Chelsea’s win over Barcelona a sign that they can compete in the Premier League and Champions League?
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Steve Sidwell says Chelsea’s Champions League win over Barcelona at Stamford Bridge was a surprise.
Chelsea has no expectations of winning this season. They believe Arsenal and Manchester City are favorites to win the title.
We are building a squad not only for this season but for the next 5-10 years.
No one at Chelsea will be motivated by beating Barcelona. A title this season is not considered a realistic goal. It suits Chelsea that no one has tipped them to win the Premier League or the Champions League this season.
This gives them more time and space to build for the future. They don’t want to be Estevao FC or Cole Palmer FC. They want a squad with six or seven players as good as Estevao or Palmer.
Their title credentials will be tested against Arsenal on Sunday. If they win at Stamford Bridge it will be a major cause of intent, but even if they reduce the gap to Arsenal to three points they will need to make a huge run to win the title for the first time since 2017.
Arsenal are deserving title contenders and home defeats to Brighton and Sunderland this season have shown that Chelsea are not quite finished.
It’s a similar story in Europe. Chelsea are building a squad to win the European Cup, but success this season looks set to come ahead of schedule. They see themselves as one of about 10 elite teams that could potentially win the competition, because anything can happen in knockout football.
Last season, Paris Saint-Germain lost three times and ranked 15th in the group stage, but won the final held in Munich. Chelsea may have looked like real contenders against Barcelona, but they were anything but when they lost 3-1 in Munich in September.
femaleWhat are the expectations of the owners this season, and have recent results raised those expectations?
Chelsea surprised many by winning their first FIFA Club World Cup last summer and their form has continued since then.
Maresca’s goal last season was to get Chelsea into the Champions League and challenge for trophies again. After many twists and turns, he finished fourth and won both the conference league and the Club World Cup.
Chelsea are expected to build on this this season and a realistic target is to finish in the top four again. Probably just behind Arsenal and City.
Anything can happen in cup competitions and improvements are expected to be seen across the club.
They have ambitious yet realistic owners who demand success. No one will be satisfied until they win titles and European Cups again. I don’t expect that to happen this season, but that can’t always be a long-term goal. The goal is to make Chelsea one of the best clubs in the world in the next 5-10 years.
How much pressure did Maresca face from Chelsea owners and fans?
Maresca is considered to have done an excellent job this season, rotating the squad and managing players following the Club World Cup this summer. He made 102 changes this season and carefully managed the players’ workload.
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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said of Wayne Rooney’s comments about Chelsea’s rotation: “It’s impossible to play with the same players every week.”
Managers will not be judged solely on trophies, although Maresca won two titles last season, but also on player development and development, team composition and winning culture.
Maresca has become accustomed to Chelsea fans not fully liking him yet.
Perhaps it has something to do with following Mauricio Pochettino after the end of the 2023/24 season. Maybe it has something to do with the style of play, a change in direction from how Chelsea teams used to play.
His style caused some tension between Maresca and the fans at the start of the year, but his enthusiastic celebration after Estevao’s late win over Liverpool in October marked a turning point in the relationship.
Maresca still has a long way to go before he is as loved as his predecessors, but he is certainly on the right path and his success at the Club World Cup and the outstanding job he is doing should not be underestimated.
Estevao stole the show against Barca. Why did he decide to join Chelsea?
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South American football expert Tim Vickery believes Chelsea’s Estevao is the most talented Brazilian player since Neymar.
A key part of Chelsea’s recruitment policy is to sign the world’s best young players before they become superstars. These players signed long-term contracts with low base wages and high incentives.
Estevao decided to join Chelsea because he believed in what the club was building. He wanted to play in the Premier League, he wanted to live in London and he knew he would have the opportunity to play. Chelsea have been scouting him for three years and decided to sign him instead of Endrick.
Selling Noni Madueke to Arsenal in the summer meant he would get more playing opportunities. Estevao is evaluated as a player who can play anywhere in the front line, including the false nine.
Clubs like Real Madrid. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona were keeping a close eye on Estevao, but it was Chelsea who wanted him the most. They were willing to pay Palmeiras an initial fee of £29m and agreed he could remain at the Brazilian club until last summer.
Who are the next Estevaos in the pipeline, and who will be responsible for finding and signing them?
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Kaveh Solhekol explains Chelsea’s transfer plans to bring in more young talent like Estevao.
Chelsea’s football leadership team has been completely revamped following the arrival of new American owners in 2022. They now have a team of five sporting directors and one of their most important duties is to ensure Chelsea remain a step ahead of their rivals when it comes to purchasing the stars of tomorrow.
Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda, 18, will join Chelsea this summer after signing him in a deal worth up to £40m from Chelsea last March.
Two 17-year-olds – Kairat Almaty striker Dastan Satpayev and Corinthians left-back Denner – are also set to feature in London at the same time, along with Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emega.
16-year-old Ecuadorian centre-back Deinner Ordonez will join Independiente del Valle in January 2028.
Sunday, November 30th at 4pm
Kickoff at 4:30 PM
