New-look Chelsea aim to kickstart revival against Fulham after massive transfer spree
It’s been a torrid last few months for Chelsea, who have gone from potential title contenders to struggling to remain in the top half of the Premier League table.
The Blues have gone through a transition period after long-time owner Roman Abramovich sold the club to the Todd Boely-led consortium. The chaos that surrounded the takeover affected the playing body, with manager Thomas Tuchel getting sacked in the process following a series of disappointing results.
Tuchel’s replacement, Graham Potter, made a bright start to life at Stamford Bridge. However, the reality has since hit home, with Chelsea winning just two of their last 11 matches and currently sitting 10th in the Premier League.
The response from the new owners has been emphatic following a massive spree in the January transfer window that saw eight players signed for over £300 million.
Chelsea signings since Todd Boehly took charge 👀🔵 https://t.co/ACstHE97dK
New-look Blues on a revival mission
Joao Felix was the first to arrive on a six-month loan deal from Atletico Madrid. Mykhailo Mudryk, Malo Gusto, Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana have also been signed to beef up the squad.
The record £105 million acquisition of Enzo Fernandez remains the biggest signing of all and it highlights the exciting project that Chelsea want to embark on. As the Blues prepare to take on Fulham on Friday (February 3), fans will be expecting the team to play with confidence and swagger.
When Chelsea faced Fulham in the league on 12 January, they failed to rise to the occasion and were deservedly beaten 2-1. The Blues now have an opportunity to put the horror of the past two months behind them and get their season back on track.
Beating Fulham will be a good way to kickstart their revival under Potter, especially after the club’s massive spending in the transfer window.
Let's play football! ⚽️
#CheFul https://t.co/x0DAfRB0tH
Chelsea’s new signings under the microscope
Chelsea currently boasts an exciting squad. However, whether the players will gel and how fast they will build understanding on the pitch is yet to be determined.
This means all new signings will be under the microscope, especially big-money acquisitions Mudryk and Fernandez if they get the nod against Fulham on Friday.
It is a new-look team but Potter must find a way to get them winning as quickly as possible or he could risk losing the confidence of the owners and fans. Potter told Chelsea's official website ahead of the game:
“What we have done this window is exciting. The players are exciting. You can see the direction we’re trying to go in: building for the future but with quality that can compete now. I don’t think the spending will continue as it has. There was a regeneration that needed to happen, which the club has done."
"We have to say the next window and the window after will be different. That’s clear. We are excited. At the same time, we have to respect the team needs to come together, gel and work. We are excited with the players we have added, excited for the players returning from injury, and then you look at the group and it’s a really competitive and strong one.”