Chelsea Premier League Odds: Another mediocre season in SW6 could await

Chelsea head into their third season of the Clearlake era and it is being fronted by Enzo Maresca, the man who recently guided Leicester City to the Championship title. The Blues had to settle for a sixth-place finish last year but that was thanks to a late surge orchestrated by former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Many think a tougher campaign lies ahead at Stamford Bridge under Maresca, and I see that as a real possibility. Below I take a look at the different Chelsea Premier League odds on offer and give my prediction as to where they will finish in 2024/25.

Last Season: 6th

Top Scorer: Cole Palmer (22)

Transfers In: Pedro Neto – Wolverhampton Wanderers (£54m), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – Leicester City (£30m), Filip Jorgensen – Villarreal (£20.7m), Omari Kellyman – Aston Villa (£19m), Aaron Anselmino – Boca Juniors (£15m), Renato Veiga – Basel (£11.8m), Caleb Wiley – Atlanta United (£8.5m), Marc Guiu – Barcelona (£5m), Tosin Adarabioyo – Fulham (free)

Transfers Out: Ian Maatsen – Aston Villa (£37.5m), Lewis Hall – Newcastle United (£28m), Omari Hutchinson – Ipswich Town (£18m), Hakim Ziyech – Galatasaray (free), Malang Sarr – Lens (free), Thiago Silva – Fluminense (free), Alfie Gilchrist – Sheffield United (loan), Caleb Wiley – Strasbourg (loan), Gabriel Slonina – Barnsley (loan), Aaron Anselmino – Boca Juniors (loan), Eddie Beach – Crawley Town (loan)

First Game: Manchester City (H)

Prediction: 10th

Premier League Odds

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Many were shocked when Chelsea and Pochettino parted ways in May as the Argentine looked to have finally cracked the equation to get Chelsea playing well as they looked most impressive in the final weeks of the campaign.

It feels as though the club is back where they were a year ago and it could be a tough start for them under Maresca. The Italian certainly feels like a gamble. His only success coming in the Championship, and despite winning the league, some Leicester fans were quite critical of his methods – which is why I think there’s a chance that he won’t survive the season.

He has arrived at a club with no job security, a bloated squad with players signed by different managers for different styles, and they keep adding more. Since Todd Boehly’s arrival in 2022, the club has spent over £1bn on players and Chelsea continue to be quite some distance away from success.

The constant changing of managers and continuing player arrivals is keeping them quite unstable in comparison to the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal. The squad is constantly bloated, with quite a lot of competition in various positions on the pitch, which gives Maresca a tough task of trying to keep everyone happy.

Football Odds

He certainly has some very talented players at his disposal. Last year’s 22-goal attacker Cole Palmer is cementing himself as one of the brightest attacking players in the division, and there will be pressure on him to replicate those numbers this term. Marc Cucurella ended the season in good form after initially struggling following his £62m switch from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Spaniard was key as La Roja won Euro 2024 over the summer so he could be about to have his biggest season yet at Stamford Bridge. I imagine both he and Malo Gusto will be key for Maresca’s methods as he liked one of his full-backs to step into midfield in possession with Leicester. Cucurella had a similar role towards the back end of the last campaign, so he looks the most likely to take on this role.

The fans will be hoping to see more of Christopher Nkunku, who has spent more time injured than playing since arriving from RB Leipzig. Nkunku was one of the hottest attackers in Europe when he moved to SW6, and should he stay fit for a longer period of time, Chelsea fans might get to see the player they signed last summer.

Chelsea head into this season with a slight disadvantage against their rivals as they have a new coach, more players, so they will once again need time to gel. They had to deal with Aston Villa having a storming year in 2023/24, and the Villans could be a threat again, if the Champions League schedule doesn’t take its toll.

But then there are the likes of Manchester United who have recruited well so far over the summer, and who themselves have stuck with Erik ten Hag after a troublesome year, hoping that this could be the year where his style is implemented effectively. West Ham United have been having an excellent transfer window too, and look as though they could be returning to the top end of the table again to challenge for European places.

It could be a much tougher year for Chelsea, and a top-10 finish might just be the best they can hope for.

Offers

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