Liam Delap and Xabi Alonso. Photo: Getty Images
Chelsea enter the 2026-27 season at the beginning of a new era under Xabi Alonso, who officially took charge on July 1 after signing a four-year contract.
The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid coach inherits one of the Premier League’s deepest young squads and has spoken about creating a clear football identity, reconnecting the team with its supporters and putting the collective ahead of the individual.
Alonso’s early tactical message has centred on flexibility rather than one fixed formation. Chelsea are expected to change shape in and out of possession, rotate players through different zones and become harder for opponents to predict.
That approach suits a squad containing versatile players such as Reece James, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández and Morgan Rogers, although developing the required understanding across such a large group may take time.
The new head coach must also correct the weaknesses that limited Chelsea last season.
Cole Palmer didn’t realise the meaning behind the moment until after… 🥹💙
The Chelsea star opened up on swapping shirts with lifelong Chelsea fan and Western Sydney player Jared Carluccio after full time in Sydney. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/GKcaiA5191
— Football360.com.au (@football360au) July 31, 2026
The Blues scored the fifth-most goals in the Premier League and recorded the sixth-best goal difference, but too often failed to turn control into victories. No side lost more points from winning positions at home than Chelsea’s 17, while red cards contributed to the loss of 19 points from a possible 24 in the affected league matches.
Better discipline and game management could therefore deliver a substantial improvement without requiring a complete rebuild.
Recruitment has nevertheless given Alonso even more options. Morgan Rogers, Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra, Emmanuel Emegha, Maxence Lacroix, Danny Welbeck and Pep Chavarría have all joined the club. Rogers and Quenda add creativity and ball-carrying ability, Emegha and Welbeck broaden the centre-forward choices, and Lacroix, Palestra and Chavarría strengthen a defence that must become more reliable.
The attacking competition should be especially fierce. Palmer remains Chelsea’s principal creative threat, João Pedro has looked sharp during pre-season and Rogers can operate centrally or from the left, while Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and Estêvão offer different qualities in wide areas. Alonso also has Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson, Emegha and Welbeck competing to lead the line, leaving him with the welcome but delicate task of distributing minutes without disrupting the team’s rhythm.
Midfield should again be built around Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández – if he stays – with Roméo Lavia offering another high-level option if he can stay fit, while eyes will be on whether Aussie-born midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli can break through for a Premier League debut after impressing in pre-season at just 16 years old.
Behind them, the return of James adds leadership as well as tactical variety, and Lacroix’s arrival increases the competition at centre-back. Alonso’s broader challenge will be to establish a settled core while keeping a heavily populated squad engaged across a season in which Chelsea do not have European football.
Pre-season has provided both warnings and encouragement. A chaotic 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers exposed defensive problems that Alonso described as useful to identify, but Chelsea subsequently produced a 3-0 victory over AC Milan and beat Real Sociedad 3-1 in their final warm-up. Those performances suggested that the new ideas are beginning to take shape, even if the team is not yet the finished article.
Chelsea open the Premier League campaign away to Fulham before facing Brighton and Arsenal, giving Alonso an immediate test of how quickly his methods have been absorbed. The absence of European fixtures should provide more training time and a physical advantage in the domestic schedule.
Champions League qualification must be the minimum objective for a squad of this quality, while a title challenge is possible if Chelsea improve their discipline, protect leads more effectively and turn their extraordinary depth into a coherent team.
16 years ago, Chelsea product Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli was born in Sydney.
Today – he played in his home town in front of 80,363 fans against Tottenham.
What a special moment for a special talent 💙 pic.twitter.com/FyLHVWZE7K
— Football360.com.au (@football360au) August 1, 2026
Chelsea’s current squad
Chelsea have not yet published a definitive final Premier League squad-number list. The following is the current senior pool listed through Chelsea’s official team and 2026-27 Fantasy Premier League material.
oalkeepers: 1 Robert Sánchez; 13 Mike Penders; 28 Teddy Sharman-Lowe; 44 Gabriel Slonina.
Defenders: 2 Marco Palestra; 4 Tosin Adarabioyo; 5 Benoît Badiashile; 6 Levi Colwill; 19 Mamadou Sarr; 21 Jorrel Hato; 24 Reece James; 27 Malo Gusto; 29 Wesley Fofana; 30 Aaron Anselmino; 34 Josh Acheampong; 37 Olutayo Subuloye; Pep Chavarría; Maxence Lacroix.
Midfielders and wingers: 7 Pedro Neto; 8 Enzo Fernández; 10 Cole Palmer; 11 Jamie Gittens; 14 Dário Essugo; 17 Morgan Rogers; 25 Moisés Caicedo; 31 Reggie Watson; 32 Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli; 33 Omari Kellyman; 41 Estêvão Willian; 43 Mykhailo Mudryk; 45 Roméo Lavia; 46 Reggie Walsh; 47 Geovany Quenda; 56 Landon Emenalo; Valentín Barco; Jordan Henderson.
Forwards: 9 Liam Delap; 15 Nicolas Jackson; 20 João Pedro; 38 Marc Guiu; Emmanuel Emegha; Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea predicted XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Robert Sánchez; Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Jorrel Hato; Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández; Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers; João Pedro.
Chelsea’s first five fixtures
August 25: Fulham v Chelsea
August 30: Chelsea v Brighton and Hove Albion
September 6: Arsenal v Chelsea
September 13: Chelsea v Hull City
September 20: Brentford v Chelsea