What a couple of seasons it has been for Chelsea. Champions in 2014/15 to a miserable 10th place in 2015/16 it’s been a frantic time for the club. Last season’s struggle resulted in Jose Mourinho losing his job with the club halfway through the season. Interim manager Guus Hiddink did an admirable job in stopping the sinking ship but was let go at the end.
The 2016/17 season promises a new chapter in Chelsea’s history. Antonio Conte, a man who had dominated Italian football both as a player and manager with Juventus FC will take the reigns at Chelsea.As someone who could rival Mourinho and Klopp with his sidelines antics Conte and Chelsea FC looks like a match made in heaven.
Chelsea 2016-17 Season Preview
Antonio Conte (Pic Cou: express.co.uk)
The best word to describe Chelsea’s performance last season is “heartless”. Jose Mourinho became the scapegoat for their poor performance however it was the players that let the club down. From Eden Hazard to Diego Costa most of their players seemed to not know what was happening around them.
Antonio Conte comes into the new season with Chelsea after guiding the Italian National side to the quarterfinals of the European Championships. With a limited squad at his disposal Conte overcame the likes of Belgium and Spain before losing to Germany via Penalties.
Chelsea don’t have any European obligations this season and that should make them a contender for the title. Conte has been busy in the transfer window and has added N’Golo Kante from Leicester and Batshuayi from Marseille for 40 and 36 million respectively. The Italian manager is still looking to recruit more with the likes of Costa and Matic possibly leaving the club.
Chelsea has had a busy pre-season and do look ready for the new season. With the amount of talent in their squad no one can write off Chelsea from being title contenders but at the end of the day they’ll take a top 4 finish.
Squad Breakdown
Conte is someone who prefers to operate with a three man defense and this could mean the arrival of another Center-Back. It will be interesting to see how much of a role Captain John Terry will have under Conte. Kurt Zouma impressed last season and is back after recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out of action for six months.
The arrival of Kante will strengthen their midfield and should help Fabregas to move more up-field. Eden Hazard looked to be back at his best in pre-season and had a good Euro 2016. He’ll need to lace his boot and find the form from 2014/15 that helped him win the Player of the Season award.
Another player who’ll be looking for Redemption will former Barcelona star Pedro who had a poor first season with the club. The player may move before the end of the transfer window but if he does stay he’ll have big role to play in the coming season.
Diego Costa isn’t a happy man, the Spanish international like many of his teammates had a poor 2015/16 season and missed the European Championships with his country. He has been desperately pushing for a move away but the club still wants him. Conte prefers to play two at top and if he stays it will be interesting to see how he links up with Batshuayi.
Chelsea 2016-17 Season Prediction
Looking at the squads of ever Premier League club as of now Chelsea are right there along with the best. Most of this team had tasted league success just two seasons ago and will be looking to right the wrongs from last season.
The biggest question for them is whether Conte can get the best out of his players. Mourinho just couldn’t get the team motivated towards the end of his tenure last season.
Chelsea will kick off their 2016/17 campaign at home against West Ham United. They’ll follow that up with games against Watford, Burnley and Swansea before hosting arch rivals Liverpool. To be fair apart from the Liverpool game, this Chelsea side should secure all 12 points from the other four.
We expect Chelsea to have a slow start to the season but will pick up their act towards Christmas and ultimately finish among the Top 4. They’ll also do well both in the League and FA Cup reaching the latter stages of the competition in both.
Verdict: – 2nd Place
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Player to Watch – Chelsea 2016-17
Eden Hazard (Pic Cou: express.co.uk)
Eden Hazard
The Belgian should be confident heading into the new season after impressing for Belgium in the Euros. Once named by Jose Mourinho as a potential successor to the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Belgian’s fall from grace has not been pretty. The Belgian had a tally of 19 goals in 2014/15 that shrunk to just 6 last season.
Football is a team game and no one player can win it on their own. However every top team need players like Hazard on form to be among the trophies.
Betting Tips – Chelsea 2016-17
1. Premier League Champions – 7.50 (Paddypower)
As predicted we don’t expect them to win the league but the odds on offer are good for a gamble. The Premier League is notorious for unpredictability with Chelsea’s performance last season a proof of that. The current favorites Manchester United are good on paper but can they perform on the pitch? If you are someone that has faith in Conte and his players then go for it. It isn’t a bad bet by a long way.
2. Relegation – 751.00 (Bet 365)
Just wanted to let you know the odds.
3. Top Four – 1.62 (Paddypower)
A top four finish looks likely at this point but the odds for it are not good enough. At least 6-7 teams will be in contention so i would advice you from stay gambling on this bet.
4. Top Scorer
1. Diego Costa – 1.91 (Bet 365)
2. Michy Batshuayi – 2.38 (Bet 365)
3. Eden Hazard – 7.50 (Skybet)
4. Pedro – 17.00 (Skybet)
Diego Costa is the favorite to end the season as Chelsea’s top scorer. The Spanish international is the 6th favorite for the Golden Boot. Costa does look a compelling option however it still isn’t a certainty whether he’ll be with the club at the end of the transfer window. Another reason as to why i’m staying away from his bet for now is because Chelsea are actively pursuing Romelu Lukaku. If the Everton striker does return to the club he’s my pick to win the Golden Boot as well. So for now look away bettors!
5. PFA Player of the Year
Contender: Eden Hazard – 15.00 (Betvictor)
As mentioned we expect the Belgian to have a good season this time. Will he win the PFA player of the season for a second time in three seasons? Unlikely. The Premier League has many talent this season it’s hard to predict who’ll outshine the rest. The odds on offer are good though so if you want to gamble, go ahead.
6. LMA Manager of the Season
Contender: Antonio Conte – 9.00 (Betvictor)
One doesn’t necessarily have to guide their team to the Premier League title to win the LMA manager of the season. The Italian should have a good season with the Blues and if he can secure a Top 4 finish and a Trophy with it there is a good chance for Conte.
7. Top at Christmas – 7.00 (Stanjames.com)
The team that usually leads the table at Christmas goes onto win the league title. Chelsea won’t be leading the table at Christmas and they won’t be winning the title.
8. Win a Trophy – N0 – 1.50 (Skybet)
Semi-final and final and in the League and FA Cup but will fall short in winning both. The odds are low so i wouldn’t be placing my money on it.
Chelsea Transfers In – 2016-17
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Transfer In |
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| Sl No | Position | Player | Fee – € | From |
| 1 | CF | Michy Batshuayi | 40 million | Marseille |
| 2 | CF | Charlie Brown | _ | Ipswich |
| 3 | MF | N’Golo Kante | 36 million | Leicester City |
| 4 | MF | Juan Familia Castillo | _ | Ajax |
| 5 | MF | Nya Kirby | _ | Tottenham |
Chelsea – 2015/16 Stats
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Draw | GD | Points |
| 10 | Chelsea | 38 | 12 | 12 | 14 | +6 | 50 |
