What Will Pochettino’s Chelsea Look Like on First Day of the Season?

08.08.23 1250

The 2023/24 English Premier League season will begin on the 11th of August and Chelsea’s first fixture is on the Sunday at home against Liverpool.

It is going to be a tough first competitive game in charge of The Blues for Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea then travel to West Ham United for a London derby the following weekend.

This coming season must be better than last season and Pochettino comes in on the back of what was Chelsea’s worst season for close to 50 years.

Having finished 12th in the Premier League on 44 points, there will be no European football for Chelsea next season.

That should help Pochettino concentrate on challenging for the top four but what is Chelsea’s best starting XI?

They have seen so many players come and go over the past year, the team may even pick itself going into the first fixture against Liverpool.

With Edouard Mendy having left for Saudi Arabia, Kepa Arrizabalaga is the first choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard is not as reliable as some of his predecessors, such as Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois but Kepa is likely to be the number one this season.

There is not much debate in the full-back positions and, if fit, Reece James and Ben Chilwell will play right and left back respectively.

Marc Cucurella did not have a great first season with Chelsea and will have to work hard to get into the team.

In central defence, Kalidou Koulibaly has been sold and age is soon going to catch up with Thiago Silva.

That leaves Pochettino with Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, and Trevoh Chalobah.

Fofana and Badiashile are likely to get the nod and it will be interesting to see how the youngsters cope at the heart of the Chelsea defence.

Into central midfield and with Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and N'Golo Kanté having left the club, Cheslea are suddenly looking light in a key position.

Enzo Fernandes is going to be huge for Pochettino in central midfield this coming season but who will be playing alongside the Argentine?

Connor Gallagher is still at the club and Carney Chukwuemeka can also operate centrally but Chelsea are in the market for another holding midfield player.

Moises Caicedo of Brighton has been strongly linked but he has yet to join.

Moving forward to the wide positions and it appears to be a choice between Raheem Sterling, Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke.

Sterling has plenty of Premier League experience but both Mudryk and Madueke struggled when they came in last season and have plenty to prove.

Centrally, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson are both summer signings and most likely to start for the Blues in attack.

With Armando Broja the other option, Pochettino will probably go with his new additions.

Cheslea are still active in the transfer market, with Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu, and César Azpilicueta all having left the club.

Pochettino will want to add to his central midfield and it is not going to be easy to gel his new team together ready for the challenge of Liverpool on the opening day.