Premier League Preview: The fans’ view – Chelsea | OneFootball

Ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season we spoke to fans of all 20 clubs to get their views on the upcoming campaign.

Here, we chatted to Tommy from Chelsea Mercato about all things Chelsea.

What lessons need to be learned from last season?

I think patience is key. When the new ownership took over Chelsea in 2022, people were quick to ridicule the process and decisions. Three years down the line, Chelsea are Club World Cup champions, Conference League winners and back in the Champions League, as well as having arguably the most exciting squad of young talent in Europe.

Many fans and journalists wrote Chelsea off at the start of last season and they were all proved wrong by the end of it. So I think patience and trust in the process was the key point from last season.

What’s your view on the manager?

I think you’ve got to respect what Enzo Maresca has done in the last year at the helm of Chelsea. When he came, it felt a bit chaotic without any real sense of solidity. Enzo Maresca took over from Pochettino, won the Conference league, brought us back to the Champions League and won the Club World Cup, that is a very successful season considering how Chelsea have been since the takeover.

As well as the accolades, he build a positive, strong team spirit and brought back that classic Chelsea winner’s mentality. He’s definitely earned the trust and respect of the fans through, he’s helped us recognise our club again. He now needs to build on the current success, which would be a title challenge, domestic cup, a good run in Europe and keeping us in the champions league for the following year, I think that will be the main aim this year.

For his first year in top flight management, Maresca and his staff have done a fantastic job and I’d like to thank him for bringing OUR Chelsea back.

What’s your verdict on your summer transfer window so far?

I think I speak for most Chelsea fans when I say this summer transfer window has been a success so far. Although we haven’t gone for ‘superstar’ names like Liverpool have with Wirtz and possibly Isak, it seems Chelsea have learned from past mistakes and are choosing smarter, more savvy, cheaper options.

Jamie Gittens, Estevão Willian, Jorrel Hato, João Pedro and Liam Delap all have the potential to set the world alight, they’re full of potential, hunger and drive, there’s no doubt they will improve this Chelsea side.

The possibility of adding Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho to the attack is exciting and will further drive explosively and goal threat to this side. I would rate the window an 8/10 if the last two deals come to fruition, however, signing a proven, experienced goalkeeper such as Mike Maignan or Gianluigi Donnarumma would push that rating higher.

One player to watch from your club this season

It’s hard to select one player to watch this season as I think a lot of players, especially new ones, will be hungry to prove themselves.

Jamie Gittens and Estevão will bring the wow factory with their explosiveness and flair and a lot of fans are looking forward to seeing them. However, the player Chelsea fans are looking forward to the most will be Cole Palmer. We all know how talented he is and his ability to be a game changer, he’s the first player to really possess that ability at Stamford Bridge since Eden Hazard.

Although he finished as the Blues’ top scorer last season, it was not as good of a season as the one prior, where he broke out into a star. I think he will be very motivated to get back to the level of his first season at Chelsea and strive for at least 20 Premier League goals, something he’s mentioned in interviews before. Cole is definitely the one to watch for Chelsea this season.

The most underrated player at your club is…

The most underrated player at Chelsea isn’t too tough to answer. Despite Moises Caicedo being by far the best player at Chelsea last season, being reminiscent of N’Golo Kanté with his ball recoveries, I think people are becoming aware of his world class talent.

However, a player that many haven’t been as vocal about is Marc Cucurella. His passion and desire for Chelsea to win is evident and watching him play at the Bridge was a real pleasure, he works so hard and those efforts paid off. Defensively, Marc was exemplary, with great performances against the likes of Desiré Doué, Bukayo Saka and Mohammed Salah.

Even going forward he was a big threat, netting seven times last season. His all-round game was excellent last season and didn’t really put a foot wrong, I would say that he’s definitely underrated and it wouldn’t be out of line to say he is currently the best left back in the world.

The game you’re most looking forward to this season is…

Easy one, Tottenham Hotspur at home. Under the lights at the Bridge, there is no better game to watch. There is just a different energy when Chelsea play Spurs, an energy that buzzes around the ground from the fans to the players on the pitch. The battle of the bridge usually proves to be one of the best games of the season and I cannot wait to watch it this year. Also looking forward to those Champions League nights too!

What opposition player do you secretly admire

There are many talented players in the Premier League away from Chelsea, so it’s hard to just pick one. A player that I, as well as a lot of Chelsea fans seem to admire is Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

It’s refreshing watching him play, being so silky on the ball as well as having that killer instinct in front of goal. I think he’ll turn out to be a star in the coming years and he’d definitely be welcomed at Chelsea!

This season your team will finish…

Anything short of top four would be a failure this season. It was not easy achieving that Champions League spot last year and I think fans would have been somewhat understanding of the situation should we have finished in a Europa League spot, considering it was Maresca’s first season.

However, now that we are in the Champions League, won the Conference League and are World Champions, there is no excuse not to compete for the Premier League title next season.

I wouldn’t personally expect to be winning it but I could definitely see us challenging for those top three spots, with the experience we’ve gained and the new additions to the team. I think top four, a domestic trophy, and a good run in Europe would be seen by many as a successful season that would help us build as a successful club.

Read – Premier League Preview: The fans’ view – Arsenal

See more – Premier League Preview: The fans’ view – Aston Villa

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