Chelsea now believe in their process but need to stay humble for title tilt

Off we go again. Just over a month has passed since Chelsea stunned Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, Cole Palmer leading the destruction of the European champions. But there is no chance of life at Stamford Bridge slowing down. It has been another breathless summer and, while the vibe is as positive as it has ever been under the ownership of Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly, there is also the unavoidable question of whether a relentless schedule is going to catch up with the new world champions further down the line.

A compressed pre-season, limited to friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Milan last weekend, may pose complications for Enzo Maresca in the long run. Chelsea had a lucrative time in the US, earning an estimated £85m in prize money, but the riches on offer from Fifa’s expanded tournament come with potential costs. The unknown is how last season, stretching until 13 July, will affect Maresca’s players. They looked ready to go during convincing wins in the pair of friendlies, which suggests there will be no lethargy when they open their Premier League campaign with a testing home game against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but one theory is problems will come when the Champions League begins, the fixtures pile up and Christmas approaches

There has already been one setback, the loss of Levi Colwill to an anterior cruciate ligament injury leaving a sizeable hole at the back. Chelsea do not intend to panic and sign a defender for the sake of it, despite Maresca saying on Friday he wanted a replacement for Colwill. Chelsea’s position is that they have depth and they will move only if someone suitable is available. Maresca feels his squad does not have anyone as proficient as Colwill at making his tactics work. “We know how important he has been,” he said last week. “I spoke with Levi and told him that if we achieved what we achieved last year it is also because of him.”

It speaks volumes that Colwill was the one constant presence in central defence. His defending improved during the run-in, he has developed as a leader and his ability on the ball makes him crucial to the buildup.

Chelsea feel they have internal solutions. Trevoh Chalobah, back in favour after being loaned to Palace at the start of last season, was outstanding against PSG. Wesley Fofana, who was first choice next to Colwill before breaking down last December, will be vital if he can stay fit. Other options include Benoît Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo, often seen acting as Palmer’s chaperone, and the young prospects Josh Acheampong and Aarón Anselmino. There is also a potential solution in Jorrel Hato, even if the new arrival from Ajax has been signed initially to compete with Marc Cucurella at left-back.

It is hardly a crisis. The squad is deep and it is not a case of quantity over quality this time. There have been a lot of sales again – the intention is for Chelsea’s spending to be at net zero when the window shuts – but the business is better than last year. The attack has been upgraded with the signings of João Pedro and Liam Delap. Dário Essugo and Andrey Santos provide promising cover for Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo in midfield. Jamie Gittens has replaced Jadon Sancho on the left and Estêvão Willian, a prodigious Brazilian talent who shone for Palmeiras during the Club World Cup, offered exciting glimpses against Leverkusen and Milan.

Then there is the ice-cold Palmer, who took the first steps towards superstardom with his brilliant double against PSG. He is the team’s undoubted star, the key difference-maker, although it is important Chelsea are not reliant on one individual. Insiders stress this is a team effort. There is consistent praise for the youth-driven strategy implemented by the recruitment team of Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart, Sam Jewell and Joe Shields. The quartet have faced external criticism but were handed contract extensions this week.

View image in fullscreen Cole Palmer is still Chelsea’s undoubted star and the key difference-maker. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

It is hard for anyone to argue that Chelsea, who also won the Conference League last season, are not on the right track after seeing how Maresca outdid Luis Enrique’s PSG. Two years after they finished 12th, a proper title challenge does not feel unrealistic. Chelsea have firepower and tactical flexibility, and they have belief after beating PSG. Inside the club, though, there is caution. Maresca is not facing demands from the board to win the title. The victory over PSG has been followed by reminders of the need for everyone to stay humble.

There is a wariness about anyone involved in the project getting carried away. Chelsea are a young team and came close to missing out on Champions League qualification last season. Dips are to be expected and Robert Sánchez’s recent improvement has not fully allayed doubts over whether he is a title-winning goalkeeper. Maresca, too, was under pressure after Christmas. Chelsea, though, crave stability. They want mid-season managerial changes to be a thing of the past. They are not going to overreact if fatigue hits after Champions League games or during the festive period.

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Chelsea believe in their process. The trading can look ruthless but the model of handing out heavily incentivised deals has made it easier to move unwanted players. Noni Madueke has gone to Arsenal for an initial £48m. There were no issues shipping João Félix to Saudi Arabia. A bigger challenge is finding buyers for Raheem Sterling and Christopher Nkunku, both of whom were signed on big wages before Chelsea shifted their contract policy.

Further incomings depend on more sales, with Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka also hoping for fresh starts. Chelsea want to strengthen in the final third by signing Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons but being fined by Uefa for breaching financial fair play rules heightens the need to raise money, which will most likely come through selling Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Tyrique George.

It will be busy before the window shuts. It is never quiet at Chelsea. Maresca tried to play down their chances last season, saying they were not ready to challenge Liverpool and Arsenal, but silencing the title talk will be impossible if they hit the ground running this time.

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