Chelsea 2025/26 Season Preview: Season Recap, Transfers, Playing XI and Expectations

The Chelsea Premier League season 2024-25 has been something that we can call a big jump towards a brighter future. A fourth-place finish in the English top division, and prestigious silverware in the form of the coveted FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Conference League - this is how the Blues turned the questions hanging over them due to lack of consistency into success. Having said that, British giants Chelsea season preview for the upcoming calendar year still raises a few concerns regarding their ambition to win the Premier League title, which the Blues have not had the chance to lay their hands on since 2017.
Despite harbouring a pack of young and talented players in the squad, Enzo Maresca couldn't deliver the English top-flight glory, which is the most prized jewel to any top-division English club. Following some expensive yet failed transfer moves, the Blues have seemingly done some businesses that underscore their precision and tactical evaluation.
As a new season approaches, the Chelsea season preview subtly evolves around whether the club's summer campaign, transfer decisions and tactical changes can finally find the missing piece in the form of a league title, which was last brought to Stamford Bridge almost a decade ago by Antonio Conte, the then Chelsea manager.
However, the Champions medal on the world stage, beating UEFA Champions League champions PSG, has made the Blues believe that they now have all the necessary firepower to go all guns blazing in silverware hunting, starting with the Premier League 2025-26 title. Having said that, let's take an insightful look at Chelsea's season preview and understand how the club will overcome their biggest challenges in the form of consistency and squad depth. This article will also explore Chelsea playing XI and future prospects in the upcoming season.

Chelsea 24/25 Season Recap

Following the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 victory, Chelsea couldn't bring a tenacious spark in any major tournament until last season. Having shrugged off an initial poor run of form, Enzo Maresca's side ended their Premier League campaign in fourth place last season, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. Riding through some ups and downs, their domestic campaigns also ended in sorry states, crashing out of both the FA Cup and the EFL Cup in the fourth round.
However, the West Londoners left it late to give a final push in the continental tournament and lifted the UEFA Conference League with authority. And then came the new, expanded FIFA Club World Cup competition. Against all odds, Chelsea went bulldozing through every opponent and defeated reigning European champions PSG 3-0 to claim the World Champions' honour. Two major titles and a top-four Premier League finish - Chelsea season recap.

Chelsea Premier League Journey

Enzo Maresca joined in May 2024 and revealed a foolproof plan to bring the long-lost glory of the club back with some audacious signings. To bring more options and creativity in the attack and bolster both defence and midfield, the Blues secured the signings of Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tosin Adarabioyo and began their League journey. Despite a major setback against Manchester City on the opening day, Maresca's side went on to pick up several wins along the way, taking the fight for the top spot to Liverpool.
But a defeat against regional rivals Fulham in November thwarted their plans of finishing in the top four, meaning they came back to exactly where they started. When all things and plans started to fall off the cliff amidst some major injury concerns, Cole Palmer led the lot to a comfortable victory against Nottingham Forest in the final match of the season. Despite struggling to keep the defence intact and maintaining order in the middle, off the back of a fierce attacking unit, the Blues finished in the fourth position.

Chelsea Cup Journey

There was nothing special in Chelsea's journey in the English Cup tournaments, be it the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup. The boys in the blue kicked off in style and rushed to the third round with some dominating results to back their trophy greed. When they decimated Morecambe 5-0 in the third round to set up a date with Brighton, there was a positive feeling about Chelsea Cup future. However, all those high hopes were finally shattered into pieces after they bowed out in the fourth round, suffering a 1-2 defeat.
Similarly, the Blues couldn't gather much in the EFL Cup as well. Newcastle United showed them a painful exit in the fourth round.

Chelsea Journey in UEFA Conference League 2024/25

The Chelsea season preview will send a sense of high hopes across West London, given their recent UEFA Conference League triumph. The Blues kicked off the tournament in fashion after securing a 4-2 home victory over Gent.

They maintained a fine rhythm to reach the semifinals and faced Djurgarden. A 5-1 aggregate victory in both legs of the semifinals took them to the touching distance of the European crown. The final against Real Betis, a match that was believed to be an exciting fixture, was turned into a training session by Maresca's boys. Cole Palmer led the attack from the front before lifting the prestigious Conference League trophy in a 4-1 victory.

Chelsea Journey in FIFA Club World Cup 2024-25

The result of the recently concluded FIFA Club World Cup has had an impact on the Chelsea season preview, as the club will look to continue from where they finished last season. In the critical and unfamiliar conditions of the USA, the Blues won the revamped club tournament and became the first English team to lift the football World Championship title twice, having done so earlier in 2021.
After overcoming the challenges of the American teams, mostly in the form of LAFC, Palmeiras and Flamengo, Chelsea reached the final to take on the best football club currently, PSG. To everyone's surprise, Maresca's young boys didn't let the Parisians use their venomous fangs throughout the match, eventually running away with a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Chelsea 25/26 Transfers

Long gone are those days when a manager would play with whatever he was provided with. The Chelsea 2025-26 transfers have been exactly opposite to that, as Enzo Maresca has always been vocal about his need to solve “internal problems”. The recruitment has been something that one can profoundly say was a smooth one, given some tactical changes in terms of signing.
The Blues have been busy over the last few months bringing in players who the team management thought would solve the problems the club faced in the previous season, especially in defensive areas.

Chelsea Signings

The Chelsea signings this season have caught some of the major Premier League clubs off guard, for sure. Despite a packed attacking unit, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens have arrived at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea's marquee signings on deals worth over £111.5 million combined.
Also, they have brought a necessary cover for Marc Cucurella in the form of Jorrel Hato from Ajax. Chelsea's spending has already crossed the £111.5 million mark. But Maresca still believes he needs one more centre-back to fill the place of Levi Colwill, who has been sidelined for months due to an ankle injury.

Chelsea Outgoings

The busy summer transfer of the 2025-26 season has also seen Chelsea offloading a few names who the club believe no longer fit to serve under Maresca. The most notable sales from the lot are Joao Felix to Al-Nassr and Noni Madueke to Arsenal. The Portuguese international came to Stamford Bridge last season, but couldn't live up to the expectations for sure.

Learnings from Chelsea Pre-Season

Following decent results from the last season, Enzo Maresca embarked on the Chelsea pre-season campaign with the hope of instilling his philosophy and reenergising the squad. The aim was clear - integrate new signings, test different strategies and prepare for the challenges ahead of the official Premier League season kicking off.
However, a long and tiring Club World Cup campaign in the USA forced the Blues to organise only two pre-season friendlies at home against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, respectively. The first match saw the Blues snatching a comfortable 2-0 win over Erik ten Hag's side in front of a packed Stamford Bridge. The last game of the pre-season also produced another commanding victory against Milan.

Here are the important learnings from Chelsea pre-season campaign:

• Strong attacking spark: Two easy wins against Leverkusen and Milan showed Chelsea's attacking tenacity, pressing intelligence and scoring hunger. From club stalwarts to new recruits, everyone joined hands in orchestrating attacks and goals. For instance, Young Estevao found the back of the net on his debut.
• Promising start of new Signings: Maresca handed new recruits like Estevao, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens their debuts, and they didn't disappoint at all. They will definitely bring a sharpness in the attack, which will prove to be pivotal in keeping the pace in the Premier League.
• Tactical evolution under Maresca: Maresca has successfully refined the whole squad by introducing his high-tempo, aggressive and fluid possession-based gameplay tactics. Also, he made many random yet tactical changes to understand whether everyone in the team can step up in case of any injury when the Premier League 2025-26 season begins.
• Defensive concerns; fitness trade-off: With key centre-backs sustaining injuries, there were several loopholes visible in defence. If not taken care of, this department will once again trouble what Chelsea season preview highlights. Chelsea's masterstroke was to rotate the squad and micromanage the training sessions. This has helped players reboot their system, balancing sharpness and fatigue.

Expected Chelsea Starting XI for New Season

In analysing the Chelsea season preview, let's take a look at what starting XI they might field in the Premier League this season. It's fair to say that manager Enzo Maresca will hand minutes to his new signings, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and a few more who are already in contention to play. After a top-four finish last time around, the expectations from the coach and team have been sky high. On that note, let's delve into the expected Chelsea starting XI for the new season.

Expected Chelsea starting XI: Sánchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; James, Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer, Neto, Pedro

Chelsea Season Preview

In the case of Chelsea season preview, it will be interesting to see how Enzo Maresca delivers with a newly-formed team. After some mixed results last season that saw his side claim a top-four position in the Premier League, the club management would definitely want him to end the title drought this term. After taking charge in May last year, Maresca has shown a solid improvement on the sidelines, taking the Blues to the dog-fight in the title challenge.
In addition to that, Chelsea, out of nowhere, ended up winning two major tournaments - the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup, beating some of the greatest football clubs in the world.
Now, the resurrected Blues will definitely look to win all three domestic titles, including the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Also, a bid to win the UEFA Champions League after four to five years can not be ruled out.

Chelsea Premier League 25/26 Season

Chelsea showed what they are capable of after going against the top sides of England in the Premier League last season. Despite getting so close to their dream, they fell short in the last few weeks, eventually failing to hit the bullseye and letting the runaway Premier League champions close the deal.
Defensive woes, fatigued midfield and failing attackers have hurt them throughout the season. Also, a few untimely and unfortunate injuries added to their woes and have hurt them severely. It's no surprise to see Maresca breaking the bank to sign key players in a bid to inject fresh legs into the squad to avoid further concerns of player absence. If they don't repeat last season's mistakes and keep the defence intact this time, they might be able to cross the lines this time, without drawing any margin for error. However, Chelsea's chances of going all the way to lift the trophy don't look promising.
Sportsdunia's predicted finish for Chelsea's Premier League 2025-26 season: 3rd place.

Chelsea's Domestic & Continental Cup Predictions 2025/26

The last time Chelsea had a great European outing apart from last season's success was in the 2020-21 season under Conte, who brought the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup to West London. Now, Maresca, with a squad blended perfectly with experienced and young players, will eye that glory. He has already tasted continental success last season, and hopes to achieve the same in the Champions League. The same equation goes for the domestic tournaments also. His performances in the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup have been hapless.
But, he has all the firepower at his disposal this season and a push for a domestic double is definitely on the radar.

Sportsdunia's predicted finish for Chelsea Cups 2025-26: Champions League - semi-finalists; FA Cup: Finalists, EFL Cup: Champions

Chelsea Premier League Key Matches 2025/26 Season

As part of the Chelsea season preview, a few matches already stand out as part of the club's decisive Premier League journey this year. Their first major clash will be a regional rivalry against Fulham at home. September brings their head-on battle against Manchester United, a match that will surely test the attacking and defensive upgrades of the Blues. The first and last week of November will set them up in two fierce London derbies against Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, two of the biggest Chelsea rivals.
The October meeting with Liverpool and the outing with Manchester City's Etihad will push the Blues to face acid tests, which will be crucial in testing their Premier League title credentials. In a season packed with drama, the Chelsea Premier League key matches will definitely define the club's deserving determination to lay a hand on the title.

Chelsea Fans' Expectations for the Upcoming Season

Chelsea fans will definitely put high hopes on their club with the team ending their last campaign on a high note. With the Blues back in the UEFA Champions League action, their supporters will not only hope their side repeat a successful run similar to that of the 2020-21 calendar year, but also they would hope for Premier League glory pushing the likes of Manchester City, reigning English top flight champions Liverpool and Arsenal, given the shape the club is in currently under Enzo Maresca.

The arrivals of new bloods like Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens will help Maresca build a possible Chelsea playing XI which can cope with every eventuality. The bottom line is that the Blues believe they have everything in their arsenal to win every competition they will be part of.