On July 13th, 2025, Chelsea Football Club became the first team to lift the newly inaugurated and rebranded FIFA Club World Cup. They did achieve this in remarkable fashion, by beating the then European Champions, Paris Saint-Germain. The Blues settled for a convincing victory in the final, with a 3-0 scoreline in the first half itself. The reason this win was hyped was the reason that Chelsea defeated a team that was on a rampant mode, humiliating European giants one after the other. Cole Palmer won the POTT award and Stamford Bridge was buzzing and relishing the start of the new season under coach Enzo Maresca.
The new season witnessed the club get off to a decent start. Maresca’s team had a mixed set of results, but were among the UCL spots in touching distance from league leaders Arsenal. The club had managed to beat defending champions Liverpool and seemed confident.
Despite losing their opening UCL tie to Bayern, the club stepped up and achieved a series of positive results. With November being their most successful month, the club were unbeaten with 4 wins and 2 draws. A memorable 3-0 win over Barcelona at the Bridge soon became the highlight of their season.
As of March, the club sits in 6th position in the Premier League and were knocked out of the League Cup semi-finals against arch rivals Arsenal. Having finished in the top 8 and directly qualifying for the last 16, Chelsea drew against PSG. Given their recent success and form, fans anticipated a close match with a victory. To the fans’ dismay, the club suffered an embarrassing humiliation, losing 2-8 over two legs.
One could definitely argue about the club’s investment plans over the years. Since Blue Co. took over the London club in 2022, the club has been exceeding their transfer expenditure in nearly every transfer window. This has led to several fines for Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches by UEFA.
One major example of such players is Liam Delap. With all due respect to the athlete, the player has played predominantly well in the Championship, but has nearly zero experience of the top flight. The club paid a massive fortune in bringing winger Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United. A player whose stats were not justified and was often criticized for his lack of professionalism. Christopher Nkunku was another prospect, but was shipped off to Milan due to his injury struggles. Such changes every season make it difficult for a manager to settle and prepare a squad. At a point over the season, Chelsea’s squad was composed of nearly 45 players, with more than half not even guaranteed any game time.
Another aspect which viewers should not deny is the managerial change in early January. Enzo Maresca was sacked from his position despite recording victories against Barcelona, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs. He was the manager who had brought back silverware to the club. Having won the UEFA Europa Conference League and the famous Club World Cup victory over PSG in July, his position looked cemented for at least an entire season.
Liam Rosenior was appointed as the new manager and has not had the best of times. His tactics against PSG once again proved how crucial Maresca’s game plan was. Liam has not managed to record a single win against the “Big 6” since his appointment. His tactics do not seem to be fitting the squad which was clearer in their Carabao Cup elimination to Arsenal.
Lastly, the most important fact is the scheduling by the FA, which has been a persistent complaint from most clubs. English clubs have to compete for the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup in addition to the European competitions. The tight scheduling does not allow for enough rest and injuries sideline key players for weeks. With an association like the FA, looking forward to promoting their league, with top performances and regular wins in European Cups, it can be a hindrance.
What could be the solution for the Blues going forward? They surely have the financial resources along with an excellent academy. With better scouting and providing enough time for players to settle, the club can definitely go back to winning the league and European competitions. It will be highly interesting to watch how the club positions itself by the end of May.
Aadi's Sports Corner 
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