Chelsea welcome Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge this weekend for a tricky first fixture on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.
The Blues, who finished fourth in the league last year, certainly go into the 2025/26 campaign with plenty of momentum behind them. After winning the Club World Cup and Conference League recently, the confidence of the young squad should be pretty high.
It was definitely a strong debut season for Enzo Maresca as Chelsea’s boss. In fact, Maresca has been nominated for Coach of the Year, partly because he won two trophies straight away in West London.
Chelsea have been tipped to challenge for the Premier League by Bayer Leverkusen manager Erik ten Hag. Up first, they’ll be searching for three points against Palace, who kickstarted their season last week by lifting the Community Shield.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner looks on during a Premier League match against Bournemouth.
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Oliver Glasner seriously impressed by upcoming opponents Chelsea
During his pre-match press conference for Sunday’s match, Palace manager Oliver Glasner delivered a glowing verdict on Chelsea.
In particular, Glasner claimed that the Blues majorly impressed him when he watched them live last month beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final. He adds that they have a very clear style of football under Maresca.
Glasner said via HaytersTV: “We are facing the Club World Cup champion. They played a fantastic tournament, especially the final. I watched it live. It really was a fantastic performance.
MORE CHELSEA STORIES
“They added a few players. They were a great team. They are a great team. They have a fantastic manager with Enzo Maresca. A clear style of playing.”
Chelsea’s 3-0 win against PSG last month was truly epic. Can they now build on it going into the new season? They’ve certainly set the bar extremely high, and the individuals in the squad are capable of producing special things together on the football pitch.
PSG defender Marquinhos applauded Chelsea after their dominant victory, where they proved they can stand up to any club side in the world in a one-off game.
Enzo Maresca looks on during Chelsea FC Training Session And Press Conference - FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images
Chelsea have identity back under Enzo Maresca
Without a doubt, Maresca’s Chelsea side created a clear identity, especially in the final months of last season.
The Italian boss has a clear template with his system. For instance, the side often shifts into a back three when they are in possession to build up play. It looks like he’s got the personnel in his squad to suit what he wants from his players, both defensively and offensively.
Chelsea’s owners massively rate Maresca because they believe he’s on the path to becoming one of the world’s elite managers. Now that the expectation has increased on him and his team, it will be fascinating to see how they cope.
After a few inconsistent years, the Blues fanbase are starting the new campaign with huge belief again.