Chelsea took a year out of the UCL (UEFA Champions League) following a disappointing 10th place finish in the 2015/16 season which meant they failed to qualify. Antonio Conte is about to take on a new challenge as the blues boss as the West Londoners seek a second Champions League title following their 2012 success in Munich.
Chelsea have all the tools to do well in Europe and have been recognised for a number of years as the one British club that poses a huge threat to the European giants like Barcelona and Bayern Munich having caused the two heavy weights trouble in the past.
Owner, Roman Abramovich’s obsession with the competition provides plenty of encouragement for the club going into next year with investment in the squad ready to take place, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has been linked with a move to Stamford bridge in the past few days, a player of this stature would turn Chelsea into realistic contenders. Chelsea must be priced quite well to win the Champions League after being missing for a season and if you want to check odds and bookie offers then you might find that the Blues are worth a bet this coming season.
Experience
Conte’s men have experience in their squad at the highest level, club and internationally wining major European titles and even world cups. This will aid them during their European adventures as well as their domestic aspirations. The importance of having been there before is essential, this gives them an advantage over an opponent who won’t have the same amount of knowledge in certain situations giving Chelsea an upper hand.
Squad depth
The blues have a fantastic squad that is littered with talent, last season some would argue that they did not need to use their squad depth due to their exclusion from European competition, it also saw Chelsea make the least changes to the starting XI in the Premier league which certainly made an impact on their title win. Leicester City had the same circumstances and saw them reach the quarter-finals of the UCL the year after which is a positive sign for the Londoners.
Winners
Chelsea won the Premier League with ease, recording a record breaking 30 wins out of 38 games finishing on 93 points. The side from the bridge did fail to record a historic double after falling short to London rivals Arsenal in a 2-1 defeat in the 2017 FA Cup final. Despite the set-back, Chelsea can take their squad of experienced winners at the highest level and use that to their advantage when they tackle Europe’s elite competition.
Guest article by Connor Humm