The Inconsistent Narrative: Chelsea FC’s Season Review And An Unpredictable End

With the 2023/2024 season nearing its end, Chelsea FC are in a precarious position. They have the opportunity to salvage the season or squander it completely. Chelsea’s American chairman, Todd Boehly, has endured a rough start to his reign following the successful takeover from Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire sanctioned after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The first season proved forgettable, with Chelsea recording their worst finish in over 20 years. They were knocked out of both domestic cups in the first round and suffered an embarrassing Champions League quarter-final defeat to Real Madrid. With that in mind, Chelsea fans entered the new 23/24 season with renewed hope and aspirations. The appointment of Mauricio Pochettino initially signaled an upward trajectory, but that optimism has since soured for some fans.

Preseason

The preseason began with a significant player exodus, including Christian Pulisic, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz (the Champions League final match-winner), club legends N’Golo Kante and Cesar Azpilicueta (“Dave” to Chelsea faithful), academy products like Loftus-Cheek, and, perhaps most controversially (and potentially a blessing in disguise), Mason Mount. Several players went out on loan, likely to see their time at SW6 cut short in the summer, including then-record signing Romelu Lukaku, the world’s most expensive goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Hakim Ziyech, Lewis Hall, and Ian Maatsen (who left in January).

Given the numerous departures, Chelsea knew they had to invest heavily in replacements. With Nkunku and Malo Gusto already signed, they were aware of their understaffed defense, especially. A horrific blow came with the injury of French defender Wesley Fofana just before their American tour. However, Chelsea acquired Nicholas Jackson, a striker from Villarreal, who impressed in preseason under Mauricio Pochettino. Just a few days before the big clash with Liverpool in West London, and as things were progressing well, a serious injury struck new signing Christopher Nkunku.

Signings

One defender and one attacker short, with midfield deficiencies exposed, Chelsea knew they had to act decisively in August. They splashed the cash for French defender Axel Disasi just days before the Liverpool game, a match where he would leave his mark by scoring the first goal of the Pochettino era.

Just two days before the game, Chelsea and Liverpool were locked in a transfer battle for Moises Caicedo. Chelsea had pursued his signature all summer but consistently fell short of Brighton’s asking price. Liverpool submitted a record-breaking bid readily accepted by Brighton. All that remained was Caicedo’s approval to move to Merseyside. Klopp even publicly stated they had agreed on a deal with Brighton. However, their plans hit a snag – Caicedo’s loyalty to Chelsea led him to reject Liverpool.

Chelsea simply had to offer a more substantial bid, which they did, securing Caicedo’s signature. With a deal for Tyler Adams almost done but pulled out of at the last minute, Chelsea needed another midfielder. In a move that could be pure coincidence or a deliberate jab at Liverpool, they signed Romeo Lavia, a long-term target for their rivals. With the summer window nearing closure, Chelsea needed an attacker. To everyone’s surprise and utter confusion, they acquired Pep Guardiola’s highly talented youngster Cole Palmer from Manchester City. Palmer has proven to be a revelation for Chelsea.

Premier League

Chelsea began the first two months of the Premier League season in a similar fashion to how they ended the last – highly inconsistent and disappointing to fans.

Their performances were a far cry from the promise shown in preseason. However, with the turn of October and the arrival of new shirt sponsors “Infinite Athlete,” Chelsea started to show signs of improvement.

They played better, scored more goals, and even managed a win against rivals Spurs. Impressive draws against title contenders City and Arsenal demonstrated Chelsea’s ability to compete. Unfortunately, Chelsea’s inconsistency reared its ugly head again. Irritating losses, underwhelming performances, and significant injuries to key players like Carney, Nkunku, Cucurella, Chilwell, and club captain James saw them slip out of European qualification positions and plummet down the table. With Nicholas Jackson away representing Senegal in the African Cup of Nations, Pochettino had a significant challenge on his hands.

He needed to utilize all available resources to save not only Chelsea’s season but also his job. With a resurgent Nicholas Jackson returning, Cole Palmer establishing himself as a top young talent, and midfielders Gallagher, Enzo, and Caicedo finding their rhythm, Chelsea seems to be on the right track and within striking distance of reclaiming their season.

Domestic Cups

Cup competitions offered a valuable pathway back into European competition, and Chelsea knew they had to take both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup seriously. They did just that.

For the Carabao cup, thejourney to Wembley began smoothly with victories against Wimbledon, Brighton, and Blackburn, all without the need for penalty shootouts.

However, a tougher challenge emerged in the form of Newcastle at Stamford Bridge. Nkunku finally made his long-awaited debut in this match, but it was Mykhailo Mudryk, a player fans felt deserved more playing time over Raheem Sterling, who emerged as the hero for Chelsea. They went on to win the tie.

A two-legged semi-final against Middlesbrough followed. Chelsea missed numerous chances in the first leg but made amends in the second, scoring six goals at home to secure a place at Wembley.

Unfortunately, despite being the younger team on the pitch, Chelsea fell short at Wembley once again. Countless missed opportunities and a late winner by Virgil van Dijk condemned them to a sixth consecutive Wembley final defeat, earning them the unenviable label of “Billion-pound bottle jobs” from Gary Neville saying they lost to “Klopp’s kids” which he apologized for and it later turned out that Chelsea had the younger team at both kick off and after the final whistle.

Undeterred by the Carabao Cup disappointment, Chelsea faced rivals Leeds in the FA Cup, following a victory over Preston. The match started poorly with a Leeds goal within the first ten minutes. However, Chelsea displayed their newfound resilience by completing a comeback with a winning goal from Connor Gallagher. This set up a repeat of the 2021 FA Cup final against Leicester.

Chelsea started strong in the final, with goals from Cucurella and Palmer. Despite creating numerous chances in the first half, particularly through Raheem Sterling (including a missed penalty), they failed to capitalize.

A freak own goal by Disasi and a sublime effort by Malvidi for Leicester meant the game went into extra time. However, with Leicester reduced to ten men after Doyle’s red card, Chelsea seized the opportunity. Carney scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner, and Noni Madueke added another to secure a return trip to Wembley, this time against Manchester City for the semi final.

Final Stretch

With both the league and FA Cup still up for grabs, Chelsea’s season remains very much alive. Despite many writing them off for the FA Cup semi-final against City, Chelsea, who are yet to lose to them this season, believe they can pull off another victory and book a return trip to Wembley. This could potentially end the season with not just a trophy but also a Europa League spot for next season.

In the Premier League, Chelsea currently sits in 11th place with 39 points, just five points behind London rivals West Ham in seventh and with two games in hand. This gives Chelsea fans a reason to believe that their season can still be salvaged and a European place secured. However, Pochettino and his young squad face a significant challenge – they must perform exceptionally well in both the FA Cup and the league to transform a potentially disappointing season into a successful one that lays the foundation for a strong 2024/2025 campaign.

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