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Chelsea will enter the new season as Champions of Europe, but they will be aiming to win their first Premier League title since 2017.
They have already started the season brilliantly as they won the UEFA Super Cup on penalties against Villarreal. They followed it up by winning their Premier League opener with a comfortable 3-0 win against Crystal Palace.
Few Chelsea players could spring a surprise in the Premier League this season
While the likes of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Romelu Lukaku are expected to deliver every week, there are other Chelsea players who could surprise everyone this term.
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With many big names returning late to the club due to international duties, these players have already got a chance to showcase their talent to the manager. So let's take a look at the five Chelsea players who could spring a surprise this season:
#5 Timo Werner
Timo Werner's Chelsea tenure has not gone according to plan yet. The German joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig last summer but struggled to make a consistent impact, drawing another blank in Chelsea's 3-0 Premier League win on Saturday.
Werner managed to score just six goals in 35 Premier League appearances last season and missed plenty of high-profile chances which looked to have dented his confidence.
His struggle in front of goal forced Chelsea to dive into the market for a new striker and hence Romelu Lukaku arrived at the club from Inter last week.
Lukaku's arrival could definitely help take the goalscoring pressure off Werner and help him unlock his full potential. With the spotlight on Lukaku, expectations on Werner in front of goal will be reduced. He can play alongside the Belgian forward and could provide considerable pace in the wings for the Blues.
With the pressure off Werner now, he could really be a huge asset in the upcoming season for Chelsea.
#4 Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso is a full-back who divides opinion among Chelsea fans. While he is a brilliant wing-back, he looks pretty average when deployed as a full-back.
Lampard had completely exiled him after Chelsea's 3-3 draw with West Brom in September last season, where he was to blame for two of the Baggies' goals. But the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in January seemed to have revived his career.
Tuchel's preference to use a 3-4-3 system saw Alonso come back into the fold. He was preferred over Ben Chilwell during the start of Tuchel's tenure before Chilwell earned his spot back in the team.
Although Alonso was linked with a move away this summer, he has been kept at the club and even impressed during pre-season. He even scored a stunning free-kick in Chelsea's 3-0 Premier League win on the opening weekend.
His ability as a wing-back could really prove useful for Chelsea in their Premier League campaign this season. With Emerson Palmeiri tipped to leave the Blues, Alonso could definitely provide the right competition for Chilwell on the left side.
#3 Kepa Arrizabalaga
How times change. Around this time last year it looked like Kepa would depart from Chelsea and the Premier League following his poor performances.
Following his antics in the 2019 League Cup final against Manchester City, Kepa made a habit of making errors in important matches. This saw Frank Lampard bench him towards the end of the season and Willy Caballero was preferred over the Spaniard. Edouard Mendy was brought in to replace him last summer.
Many assumed that he would leave the club, but the goalkeeper's stock had fallen so much that it proved difficult for Chelsea to sell him.
Therefore, the Spaniard stayed at the club and played second-fiddle to Mendy. He did not play much in the Premier League and was only used in cup matches. But since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, the goalkeeper has seen an upturn in form and has looked solid whenever called upon.
Kepa has played nine times since Tuchel's arrival, with four appearances in the Premier League and has kept five clean sheets. He was also the hero of Chelsea's penalty shootout win in the UEFA Super Cup as he made two crucial saves from the spot.
Although Mendy remains first choice, the prospect of Kepa starting in goal for Chelsea does not create the panic it once did. Kepa will definitely play an important part for Chelsea, considering the fact that Mendy will be representing Senegal in January's Africa Cup of Nations.
#2 Callum Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson-Odoi was handed a surprise start in the Super Cup final. Perhaps this is an indication that the youngster is ready to carve out a regular spot in the Premier League for Chelsea.
Hudson-Odoi enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2018-19, which saw him make his England debut and attract interest from Bayern Munich. But injuries and some inconsistent displays have stalled his Chelsea career over the past two years.
Thomas Tuchel's arrival saw Hudson-Odoi play at wing-back during his first few Premier League matches, while he also featured in the away win over Atletico Madrid. But the 20-year-old will surely look to play in a more attacking role this season.
After his stand-out performances in pre-season fixtures against Bournemouth and Arsenal, it looks like Hudson-Odoi is prepared to fight for his spot at Chelsea this season.
#1 Trevoh Chalobah
Arguably the most surprising player in Chelsea's starting line-up in recent weeks, Trevoh Chalobah has shown why he belongs in the first team.
The 22-year-old, who has been at Chelsea since he was eight, made a surprise debut in the UEFA Super Cup win over Villarreal. He put in an impressive outing at Windsor Park.
The youngster went even one better this weekend on his Premier League debut. The centre-back hammered in a screamer from 25 yards, scoring Chelsea's third goal in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace. Chalobah immediately dropped to his knees and was overcome with emotion. It was a big moment for the Chelsea youngster.
Chalobah spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 side Lorient and did not make a single Chelsea appearance before the Super Cup final.
However, following his excellent display Chalobah has forced his way into Thomas Tuchel's thinking.
The defender has been linked with a loan move but his composed display in the Premier League and Super Cup could help him force his way into the first-team squad this season.
