Chelsea on course for a memorable season

Chelsea are still on course for a productive first season under manager Enzo Maresca despite a sketchy run of results over the festive period.

Finishing in the top four in the Premier League is the primary aim, while success in the FA Cup and Europa Conference League is also achievable.

With that in mind, read on as we assess how the rest of the Chelsea’s 2024/25 season will unfold, starting with the English top flight.

Premier League

Chelsea briefly raised hopes of mounting a title challenge in the Premier League, but several disappointing performances injected a dose of reality into proceedings.

However, Premier League betting sites still rate the Blues as odds-on shots to finish in the top four, which would be a respectable result in Maresca’s first season.

The manager has been keen to keep a lid on expectations at the club, recognising that some areas of the squad still need attention despite the heavy investment in players.

Chelsea are undoubtedly capable of qualifying for the Champions League, although their remaining fixtures are packed with potential banana skins.

Visits to Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle United are all tough, while a final day trip to Nottingham Forest will not be easy.

Chelsea also face Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, highlighting the size of the task they face to stay in the top four.

FA Cup

The Blues eased into the fourth round of the FA Cup courtesy of an emphatic 5-0 victory over League Two side Morecambe at Stamford Bridge. Maresca was delighted with the result.

“It was a good afternoon in terms of we won, which is important,” Maresca said. “The performance in these types of games is about showing how serious and professional you are and once again the players showed that.”

The draw for the next round could have been a little kinder to Chelsea, with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion next on the agenda.

However, the Blues have won each of their last four meetings with Brighton in all competitions and will fancy their chances of recording another victory at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton demolished Norwich City 4-0 at Carrow Road in their third-round tie and will be tough opponents, but Chelsea should have enough quality to make further progress.

Europa Conference League

Chelsea racked up a combined 26-5 scoreline in six Europa Conference League games to sweep into the knockout stage of the competition.

A quick look at the other clubs who secured automatic qualification to the last-16 highlights that the Blues have little to fear as the tournament reaches its business end.

Serie A outfit Fiorentina are the second favourites to lift the trophy, but the Blues would expect to defeat them if their paths cross later in the competition.

Real Betis are the only other team listed at single figure odds after the group stage, but they must navigate a play-off tie against Gent before booking a place in the round of 16.

The rest of the teams in the competition are a mix of underachievers and teams from smaller nations who do not boast the same resources as Chelsea.

Odds of 4/6 for the Blues to lift the trophy are a little on the skinny side, but you would be hard pushed to argue the case for any other team stopping them.