Chelsea has had a forgettable year, with failures both on and off the pitch overshadowing their footballing achievements. Despite record spending in the transfer market, the club has struggled to make a mark, with players failing to live up to expectations and long-term contracts proving to be costly. Todd Boehly’s team failed to qualify for European competitions last season and are on track to do the same in the 2023-2024 season. Mauricio Pochettino was brought in to turn things around, but he faces a daunting task.
Recent figures show just how much Chelsea is struggling. With their recent loss to Wolves, they have now lost 19 times in the Premier League in the past year – more than any other team. This has left them without European football, and their record on the continent is also poor, with only three teams in the big five leagues having worse records than them.
The team’s performance in the 2022-2023 Premier League season was equally dismal, with only 44 points and a 12th place finish in the standings. They scored 38 goals but conceded 47, with only 11 wins, 11 draws, and 16 defeats. Havertz was their top scorer with seven goals, while Ziyech provided the most assists with three.
The instability at Chelsea has been evident in all areas, starting with the dugout. Thomas Tuchel was dismissed three months before the end of last year, and his replacement, Graham Potter, was released just a few months later. Bruno Saltor took charge for a single match before Frank Lampard was controversially brought in to lead the team until the end of the season. Mauricio Pochettino is now the fourth manager to take charge of Chelsea in 2023.
The 2023-2024 Premier League season has not been kind to Chelsea under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino. With only 28 points, 10 qualified, 34 goals scored, and 31 goals against, the team has struggled with 8 wins, 4 draws, and 8 defeats. Palmer has been the top scorer with 8 goals and the most assists with 4. The team’s worst start in the Premier League era was confirmed with a 0-1 defeat against Aston Villa in September, earning only 5 points out of a possible 18. This is the worst start for Chelsea in 45 years. Many of the players on whom the club bet heavily, such as Sterling, Mudryk, Caicedo, Nkunku, and Enzo Fernandez, have not lived up to their price tags, and injuries have plagued the team. In 2023, Chelsea was purchased by Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, Mark Walter, and Hansjoerg Wyss for a record-breaking 5 billion. In the winter market, Boehly spent 329 million on seven players, including Enzo for a whopping 121 million euros and Moises Cicedo for 133 million euros, making it the fifth most expensive transfer in the history of the sport. The latest addition to the team is Cole Palmer, a 21-year-old attacking midfielder from Manchester City, for 50 million euros. Chelsea spent approximately 500 million euros in the summer market, bringing their total spending to 829 million euros in 2023. The team’s future now lies in the hands of Pochettino and his players, who must turn things around to become a top team once again. While a clear philosophy is emerging and the squad is committed to giving their best, it remains to be seen whether they will become the super team desired.
