Chelsea 2022/23 season review: Has it come to this? | OneFootball

Chelsea endured a torrid 2022/23 with three managerial appointments and a litany of terrible performances.

Competition breakdown

Premier League – 12th

It’s been a season of historic lows for Chelsea with new billionaire owner Todd Boehly hiring three coaches and getting precisely zero back.

Thomas Tuchel ran into trouble within the first few months and his replacement, Graham Potter, couldn’t turn things around after a faltering start.

Frank Lampard came in as an interim boss in April and saw the Blues tank with six straight defeats, including losses at home to Brighton and Brentford.

Despite a tiny late turnaround, they couldn’t finish in the top half with the Americans showing that money doesn’t solve all problems in the Premier League.

Champions League – Quarter-finals

The Champions League offered a brief respite from domestic challenges with the Blues topping their group – that included semi-finalists Milan – and beating Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

FA Cup – Third round

Chelsea were unlucky enough to be drawn against Manchester City in both cup competitions with the Blues getting hammered 4-0 by Pep Guardiola’s men in the FA Cup.

EFL Cup – Third round

Graham Potter took his Chelsea side to the Etihad back in November and were found out in a comprehensive 2-0 win for the hosts.

Player of the season: Mateo Kovačić

In a season of indifference and downright awfulness at times, the list of players who can exit this campaign with their heads held high is a short one.

Reece James has impressed whenever he’s played but hasn’t been fit enough to make a real impact whilst Kepa has emerged from Eduard Mendy’s shadow to become the club’s number one.

The one player though, who has turned up every week and impressed despite the chaos going on around him, is Mateo Kovačić.

The Croatia international has been a near evert-present in the midfield under their three coaches and rarely put a foot wrong.

Game of the season: Chelsea 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

In a season of crushing lows, Chelsea’s win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League round of 16, was comfortably their moment of the campaign.

Having lost 1-0 in Germany, Graham Potter’s side knew they had to score at least two to have a chance of making the quarter-finals.

That task had been easier said than done for the Blues up to that point, having been particularly goal-shy post-Christmas.

But a goal from Raheem Sterling just before half time ignited the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge before Kai Havertz’s second half penalty confirmed the win.

Top goalscorer: Kai Havertz

It says everything about Chelsea’s season that their top goalscorer is Kai Havertz with nine goals.

The Germany international has struggled under the weight of leading the Blues line this term and will surely be surplus to regular requirements next term.

Unfortunately for Havertz, nine in all competitions just won’t cut the mustard when you’re trying to fight for every trophy available.

Rising star: Noni Madueke

Only 21, joining midway through the season for €33m and going into a club that was in free fall –  the second half of this campaign was almost set up for Noni Madueke to fail.

But despite everything, the former PSV star has impressed in his brief cameos for Chelsea.

Madueke made his first start against Arsenal in May after six substitute appearances and plenty more stuck on the bench.

And against the title-chasers, the former Tottenham youth product was the long bright spark in an otherwise turgid display from Frank Lampard’s men.

He followed that up with another excellent display in Lampard’s first win against Bournemouth, and must now surely be one of the players to build the team around next term.

What comes next?

Can Mauricio Pochettino change things for the better in west London?

The Argentine coach is widely expected to be named as the new permanent coach soon and has a hell of a job on his hands.

Of course, he’s done it before in the north of the capital, but the pressure that comes with having a billionaire American owner that’s willing to spend, will be entirely different.

Chelsea simply cannot afford another season out of the Champions League and failure for a second season running will not be tolerated.

It’s going to be a fascinating campaign.