**Arsenal legend Ian Wright thinks manager Xabi Alonso can turn Chelsea into title challengers this season**
Speaking to [_Metro_](https://metro.co.uk/2026/08/18/ian-wright-names-dark-horses-win-premier-league-title-this-season-29405425/), the pundit named the Blues as dark horses, claiming that two key factors can keep them in contention at the top of the table:
“I fancy Chelsea to challenge if Alonso gets a good start and is able to make them more solid defensively.”
“He’s brought in some experienced players, which they’ve needed for a while. I can see them getting into a good rhythm without European football.”
What are the odds of Chelsea winning the title?
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The majority of bookmakers have Alonso’s team at 8/1 to finish in 1st place, making them fifth favourites behind reigning champions Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United.
As Wright says, though, those odds could shorten quickly if they do get off to a strong start. The Blues play Fulham in their opening game on Monday night.
Alonso’s first home league fixture in charge is versus Brighton at the end of the month, but the biggest test is likely to be against Arsenal. They travel to the Emirates for the London derby on September 5th.
Fewer games and squad depth should aid Alonso
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The absence of European football will mean that the manager will have a lot more time on the training ground compared to some of his rivals, who also have new managers.
Enzo Maresca at Manchester City and Andoni Iraola at Liverpool will have to juggle Champions League games and manage their squads with much greater care.
In contrast, Alonso will usually have a week to prepare for any match, while he has a [**whole host of options**](https://chelseanews.com/blog/chelsea-transfer-news-summer-signings-ranked-from-worst-to-best/) in every position to choose from. It should set him up for a good campaign if he can implement his ideas and his players are up to the task.