Chelsea odds to win the Premier League 2024-25: Predicted finish, transfers, best players and full squad

Chelsea are once again in a new era for the 2024-25 Premier League.

The Blues are in their fourth permanent manager since BlueCo took over in 2022, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino all deemed not good enough to lead Chelsea. Chelsea received a lot of criticism for their struggles last season despite the money they spent on transfers, with expectations high.

Given the improvements towards the end of the campaign, there is some hope that Chelsea will make a challenge for Champions League football. And they’ve started life under Enzo Maresca well. For the super optimistic, they’ve been given a 4.76% chance of winning the 2024-25 Premier League title.

Latest Chelsea odds to win the 2024-25 Premier League

Chelsea’s summer transfer window business

Chelsea transfers in

Chelsea once again focused on the future, with two of their signings not joining until next summer. But there were also signings for the now, with Joao Felix returning to Chelsea permanently, joining compatriots Renato Veiga and Pedro Neto.

On deadline day, Jadon Sancho signed on loan from Manchester United with an obligation to buy.

Chelsea transfers out

Alongside the many incomings, there was also a mass exodus at Stamford Bridge. Thiago Silva, Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling left from last season’s first team, the latter joining Arsenal on loan. Chelsea also finally got Romelu Lukaku off their books with a permanent move to Napoli.

Who are Chelsea’s most important players?

Chelsea’s top Premier League Golden Boot contender: Nicolas Jackson

• Key stat: Nicolas Jackson hit the target with 11 of his 19 shots in the Premier League this season.

Nicolas Jackson was not Chelsea’s top scorer last season, and he’s not actually their favourite for the Golden Boot. But there is a lot of promise there.

In his first season in the Premier League, the 23-year-old looked a little raw and missed 24 big chances, the third-most in the division. But he also scored 11 big chances and had 14 goals in the league in total. Jackson comes under fire, particularly from a lot of opposition fans, but the Senegalese forward creates opportunities that others wouldn’t with his movement.

This season, Jackson has four goals in seven matches, and has brought his usual chaos. The striker has hit the target 11 times in the Premier League, with only two players doing so more. Jackson sits second for Expected Goals and non-penalty xG (both 5.15). He’s top of the pile for right-foot xG though, with 4.11. It’s time to start paying attention.

Chelsea’s primary playmaker: Cole Palmer

• Key stat: Cole Palmer has created 23 chances in the Premier League this season.

Cole Palmer was the only Chelsea player to score more goals than Jackson in the Premier League last season, and he was the Blues’ standout star. As well as being Chelsea’s main goal threat, Palmer was their creative maestro. He provided 11 assists, with only Ollie Watkins managing more across the Premier League. Palmer also created 72 chances inside the top 10 in the division.

And although Palmer was the man on set pieces for Chelsea, he didn’t rely on them to create his chances. Ten of Palmer’s 11 Premier League assists last season came during open play, with an open play xA of 8.28 and a set-play xA of 0.47. He was well worth his nomination for the Ballon d’Or, though a win is definitely out of reach.

Palmer continues to grow at Chelsea, and he’s having a more creative role now playing as the No.10. The Englishman ranks second in the Premier League for assists (5), chances created (23) and big chances created (8). That’s on top of being second for goals scored. He’s been pulling the strings for Chelsea this season.

Chelsea’s card magnets & top tacklers: Moises Caicedo

• Key stat: Moises Caicedo has made 27 tackles in the Premier League this season

A lot of emphasis was put on the fact that Chelsea’s two main midfielders last season cost over £100m each. And they are still struggling to gel. But Moises Caicedo had a good first season at Chelsea, growing as the campaign continued. The Ecuadorian was a very important part of Chelsea’s defensive line, trying to protect the back four. And he’s only got better.

Caicedo has been one of Chelsea’s best players, really thriving as part of the double pivot. His passing is improving, but Caicedo is all about stopping opposition attacks. His 27 tackles is more than any other Chelsea player and ranks second overall in the Premier League. Only Wilfred Ndidi (28) has made more tackles this season. Caicedo has also won possession 39 times in total, including eight time in the attacking third, the fifth-most in the Premier League.

Chelsea’s rising star: Marc Guiu

Chelsea have hundreds of young players in their squad, so anyone could be their rising star. But Marc Guiu appears to be the one with the best chance of making his mark on the first team. Guiu has been trusted in the Europa Conference League so far and is a danger to opposition defences. With a bit of fine tuning in front of goal, and patience, Guiu could make an impact.

Chelsea’s set-piece specialists:

• Penalties: Cole Palmer
• Free kicks: Cole Palmer
• Corners: Cole Palmer

Chelsea’s tactical analysis & formation

Chelsea’s team stats from the 2023-24 Premier League season (avg per game):

• Corners: 5.34
• Shots on target: 5.66
• Shots on target conceded: 4.95
• Offsides: 2.24

Despite utilising a 4-3-3 with Leicester, Enzo Maresca has opted for a 4-2-3-1 at Chelsea. In the first game of the season against Man City, that formation had Enzo Fernandez in the No.10 role and Cole Palmer on the right.

But from the second game onwards, Fernandez has dropped alongside Moises Caicedo in the double pivot. That was partly to replace Romeo Lavia, who suffered a slight injury. But it has continued, with Palmer now the No.10.

This has allowed Noni Madueke to make the right flank his own. The Englishman has had a lot of bright moments this season, including the hat-trick against Wolves. And there’s room to improvement too, especially when it comes to decision-making. On the left, Jadon Sancho has enjoyed a good run of starts of late and looks to be Maresca’s first-choice for the time being.

Robert Sanchez has been handed the No.1 spot, with a back four of Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella earning favour with Maresca.

Chelsea’s best players so far

We used our Squawka Score to rank Chelsea’s top five players in the Premier League this season.

• Cole Palmer (87%)

This is no surprise. Palmer has already been rewarded for his form this season, winning the Premier League’s Player of the Month for September. That form includes scoring four in a 4-2 win over Brighton. He’s the best-ranked attacking midfielder in the Premier League this season, averaging 0.91 goals and 0.6 intentional assists per 90 minutes. Palmer has also averaged 1.21 big chances created and has a non-penalty xG on target of 0.52 per 90. Not bad for a player some still label a penalty merchant.

• Nicolas Jackson (80%)

He gets a lot of stick, from Chelsea supporters and opposition fans. But Nicolas Jackson has been a good centre-forward for Chelsea this season. The Senegalese striker has averaged 0.68 goals per 90 minutes, from 1.88 shots on target. He also posts a non-penalty xG of 0.88 per 90. Jackson creates too. He’s recorded 0.51 intentional assists and 0.51 big chances, and is integral to Chelsea’s attack.

• Moises Caicedo (72%)

Moises Caicedo has been solid at the base of Chelsea’s midfielder, outshining his £100m teammate. The Ecuadorian is getting better on the ball, with 0.29 big chances created per 90 minutes and a retention rate of 87.86%. But it’s defensively where he truly shines. Caicedo is averaging 1.46 interceptions retaining possession per 90 in the Premier League this season, with 2.34 tackles won.

• Noni Madueke (71%)

Another player to grow under Maresca is Noni Madueke. The Englishman has slotted into the right wing spot well after Palmer moved centrally. Madueke has averaged 0.75 goals per 90 minutes, which is helped by his hat-trick against Wolves. He’s also overperformed his xG by 0.33 per 90, with 1.69 shots on target. Madueke is a threat on the ball, with 7.31 touches in the opposition box per 90, and he’s tough to stop. The Englishman has averaged 0.75 fouls won in the final third per 90 in the league this season.

• Levi Colwill (68%)

At the other end of the pitch, Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana have formed a solid centre-back partnership. Colwill is the higher-scoring Blue per our centre-back Score. The Englishman has averaged 2.43 interceptions retaining possession per 90 minutes in the league this season. He’s also won 4.9 aerial duels per 90 and completed 5.57 clearances. With Colwill on the pitch, Chelsea have also averaged 0.71 clean sheets per 90.

Chelsea’s Premier League 2024-25 squad

Chelsea FAQs

Where did Chelsea finish in the 2023-24 Premier League season?

Chelsea finished sixth in the 2023-24 Premier League, securing a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying play-off round.

Who is the Chelsea manager?

Enzo Maresca is the current Chelsea manager, replacing Mauricio Pochettino in the summer.

Who is the current Chelsea captain?

Reece James is the Chelsea captain, with Ben Chilwell vice-captain.

What is Chelsea’s best Premier League finish?

Chelsea are five-time winners of the Premier League, last lifting the trophy in 2016-17.

More Premier League 2024-25 content:

• Chelsea 2024-25 Premier League fixtures
• Premier League 2024-25 outright odds
• Premier League 2024-25 Golden Boot odds
• Premier League net spend