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Thomas Tuchel guided Premier League giants Chelsea to their second UEFA Champions League title last season, just months after taking over from Frank Lampard. Things have just started for the German manager as he now aims to replicate last season's European form in the Premier League this season. With two wins from the first two Premier League games this season, things look promising.
Chelsea have signed just two players so far this summer, with Romelu Lukaku coming in for a club-record fee of £97 million and Marcus Bettinelli joining on a free transfer.
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The Blues have been linked with Jules Kounde and Saul Niguez, with the transfer window in its final stretch.
The UEFA Champions League winners have done well in the transfer market by selling players in excess of requirements for over £100 million. There were a few surprise sales in the summer, with the likes of Marc Guehi, Tino Livramento and Tammy Abraham all leaving the club.
Chelsea have a lot of pressure to do well this Premier League season, but there are a few things that the fans can expect. On that note, here are
5 predictions for Chelsea's 2021-22 Premier League season
#5 Kepa Arrizabalaga will challenge Edouard Mendy for the #1 spot from January
Edouard Mendy has become Chelsea's top goalkeeper ever since he joined from Rennes last summer. The Senegal star has provided solidity at the back and has made some tremendous saves to help the Blues.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has accepted his role at the Premier League club, despite being the world's most expensive goalkeeper ever.
The Spaniard did well in the few games he got last season, but those performances were not enough to push Thomas Tuchel into rethinking his goalkeeper choice.
However, Kepa has another golden opportunity this season as Edouard Mendy will be going away for the African Cup of Nations in January. This will be a crucial phase of the Premier League season, and the FA Cup will also begin for the top-flight clubs. This phase could see Kepa in goal for Chelsea. If he impresses, he could very well make a case to be made their #1 choice once again.
Kepa saved two crucial penalties in the UEFA Super Cup earlier this month to help Chelsea beat Villarreal. He is high on confidence, and that could reflect in his performances this season, should he be given a chance by the Premier League side.
#4 More changes in formations
Chelsea were operating with a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 under Frank Lampard, something Thomas Tuchel did not see working. The German came in and switched to a back three and has been working with a 3-4-3 formation most of the time.
This season, especially with the signing of Romelu Lukaku, there are chances of Chelsea changing formations game-to-game.
3-5-2 with Timo Werner or Kai Havertz partnering Romelu Lukaku is a possibility, while a 4-2-4 is also possible in games where they are chasing a win.
Thomas Tuchel has enough talent in the squad to switch formations within seconds in games, but we will have to wait and see if he plans a change any time soon.
#3 Andreas Christensen to replace Thiago Silva
Premier League giants Chelsea need a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva as the Brazilian does not have a lot left in him. Last season, the former PSG star was a vital part of Thomas Tuchel's side, but now the slow drift away from the veteran centre-back will begin.
Andreas Christensen has just a year left on his current deal and is reportedly in talks with the club. He could easily make things smooth for Chelsea by putting in a solid performance in the upcoming games.
Thiago Silva is yet to feature for Chelsea this season and the Danish star has made the most of it. He has impressed in both games and should he pen a new deal, Chelsea will have the centre-back role sorted for the long run.
#2 A solid title challenge
Chelsea have brought in just one player who goes straight into the first team, but that is more than enough to make them stronger than last season. The Blues now have almost everything it takes to put on a solid title challenge in the Premier League.
The Premier League title has not been to Stamford Bridge for the past 4 seasons, and Thomas Tuchel will be looking to end that. The German has confirmed he is looking to fight for the Premier League trophy this season, but has refused to hail Chelsea as the favorites this season. He said
"We said during the last campaign that we set the bar high and we try to close gaps in the 90 minutes. This is the Premier League, the toughest competition and it is on us."
"I truly believe we are in the role of the hunters to close the gap to Liverpool, City and United. We have to do this week in, week out. We are not shy to say this ouit loud that we try to be the best in any competition that we play. There are three teams to close the gap to."
#1 Romelu Lukaku to finish as the club's top scorer this season
In the words of Paul Heyman – this is not a prediction; it's a spoiler!
Chelsea's top scorer in the Premier League last season was Jorginho with seven goals. The Italian scored every single goal from the spot and helped the Blues finish 4th in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel realized the main issue was the lack of a goalscorer, and the Chelsea board has gone out and brought Romelu Lukaku back. The Belgian has hit the ground running with a goal on his second debut and should also finish as the club's top scorer this season.
He was in fine form for Inter Milan last season and with better players around him to provide service, there is no reason he cannot score 20 goals or more in the Premier League alone.
