Why Chelsea’s squad depth could lead them to Premier League glory

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After their Champions League success in May, it comes as no surprise that Chelsea are one of the favourites to win this season’s Premier League title.

The arrival of Thomas Tuchel back in January sparked a revival at the West London outfit after they went through a rough patch of form over the festive period. Fast forward just four months and they have been crowned the Champions of Europe for the second time in their history.

They have already won another piece of silverware this season after beating Villarreal in the Super Cup final last week, with Kepa Arrizabalaga proving to be the hero in a penalty shootout. Saturday’s win against Crystal Palace also proved that even without naming their strongest lineup, Chelsea are still able to easily pick up three points.

A key factor in the Blues’ claim as one of the title favourites is the fact that their squad depth is one of the best in the business, and this could be a key factor when it comes to who lifts the trophy in May 2022.

Goalkeepers

Edouard Mendy’s first season in blue was nothing short of a huge success. The Senegalese shot-stopper kept 25 clean sheets in 45 games across all competitions and has now firmly cemented himself as the first-choice goalkeeper.

Despite being the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa has still enjoyed a fruitful career at the club since arriving in 2018. As we saw in last week’s Super Cup, he can certainly be relied upon when it comes to saving penalties and is seen as a solid backup to Mendy.

Willy Caballero’s departure meant Chelsea had to sign a replacement, with Marcus Bettinelli arriving as another experienced option and his home-grown status helps to fit squad registration quotas.

Defenders

Considering the Blues play with three centre-backs, there must be enough cover in the squad to maintain a strong backline should there be any injuries.

Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Thiago Silva were all instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League success last season, with a good combination of youth and experience helping the club to also secure another top-four finish in the league.

The Blues are blessed to have such strong alternatives on the bench. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and the long-serving Kurt Zouma are also more than capable of protecting their goal when called upon, as well as providing support upfront through goals and assists.

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Trevoh Chalobah has enjoyed a stellar pre-season and was rewarded with a Premier League debut against Palace on Saturday, in which he scored his first goal for the club and was named Man of the Match.

In the wing-back positions, Reece James is the first choice on Chelsea’s right-hand side, with the likes of Azpilicueta and even Callum Hudson-Odoi providing cover for the 21-year-old.

On the left, Ben Chilwell has been the main starter since he arrived from Leicester City last summer. Marcos Alonso and Emerson are the alternative options, although both have been linked with moves away from the club this summer.

Midfielders

N’Golo Kanté provides Chelsea with a world-class presence in the heart of the team, with the Frenchman possessing the ability to make inch-perfect tackles all over the pitch and help start attacking plays.

With the Blues playing with a midfield two, Kanté is normally supported by Jorginho, who was pivotal for his club last season and for Italy in their Euro 2020 success.

Mateo Kovacic, who is now a four-time Champions League winner, is also able to accommodate the central midfield role when called upon, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s strength and vision will give the Blues lots of options at the centre of the team.

Forwards

Due to the sheer depth of quality of attackers in this Chelsea side, it is most certainly the most difficult area of the team to consistently name in the starting 11.

Romelu Lukaku has recently arrived from Inter Milan after initially leaving the club back in 2014. With 30 goals in 44 games last season he will no doubt provide the Blues with goals this season, something which they appeared to struggle with during the 2020/21 campaign.

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Timo Werner, despite his critic’s last campaign, accumulated the most goal contributions in the whole squad with 27. His fellow countryman Kai Havertz enjoyed a strong end to the season, with his Champions League final goal immediately cementing himself as a Chelsea hero.

Academy prospect Mason Mount has shown continuous improvement over the last couple of seasons, with many fans calling for him to be in contention of being the next Chelsea captain. As well as this, his semi-final goal against Real Madrid and the assist in the final shows that he’s able to produce on the biggest stage.

Hakim Ziyech has had a positive pre-season and scored a crucial goal in the Super Cup win, and it is hoped that the injury he suffered in the same game won’t keep him on the sidelines for too long as his creative eye for a pass will be crucial this season.

American Christian Pulisic has been in and out of the team since joining in 2019 due to injury troubles, but he was able to get on the scoresheet against Palace on the opening day. Like others in the Chelsea squad, Pulisic enjoyed a successful summer as he captained his country to CONCACAF Nations League victory against Mexico. The 22-year-old scored the winner in extra time.

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