Chelsea finished last season in complete and utter disarray. Enzo Maresca was axed halfway through the campaign after repeated disagreements with the club’s board, despite having just led the Blues to a stunning FIFA Club World Cup win a few months prior. He was replaced by Liam Rosenior, who immediately lost the respect of the dressing room despite a positive start. He, too, was fired after just 106 days in charge, following a dismal run of five straight Premier League defeats without scoring a single goal.
The result of the disarray was that Chelsea finished way down in tenth place in the Premier League. But since then, some optimism has returned to Stamford Bridge. Former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has been appointed as the club’s new manager, while the Blues have also forked out over £300m on new signings, headlined by the British record £117m paid to Aston Villa for England international Morgan Rogers.
But despite the Bridge having new life breathed into it, online betting sites still make Chelsea an outsider to win the Premier League this season. The popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook currently positions the Blues as a 9/1 underdog to top the pile next May, well behind defending champions and 11/10 favorites Arsenal.
So, with a new era on the horizon, what are the biggest questions surrounding Xabi Alonso’s Blues heading into 2026/27? Let’s take a look.
Can Xabi Alonso Take Advantage of a Wide-Open Premier League in Year One?
While Arsenal are the overwhelming favorites to defend their title this season, the pecking order behind them seems to be wide open. Manchester City have been perennial challengers over the last decade, winning six Premier League titles in that time frame under Pep Guardiola. However, the iconic Catalan boss is now gone, as is star midfielder Rodri, as well as the long-serving duo of Bernardo Silva and John Stones.
Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has since taken charge and has added highly rated former Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson to his squad. But already alarm bells are ringing, and the recent 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal in the Community Shield has…
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