Chelsea pre-season preview: Opening games, transfer plans and more

The most endearing characteristic of football is its unpredictability. Despite a wide range of statistical tools and data at our disposal in this day and age, football continues to thrive in moments of complete chaos.

Chelsea is a club with close links to the sport’s inherent chaotic nature. The Blues thrive in it but fall apart in perceived moments of order, such as systemically building a long-term project.

Chelsea comes into 2021/22 on the back of a chaotic season, during which they spent over 200 million euros in a pandemic-hit market, sacked their manager in January, lost the FA Cup in May, had to rely upon fierce rivals to finish in the top four, and still managed to win the UEFA Champions League!

Order is expected to follow this summer, with the club hoping to conclude deals for a few key targets rather than following a scattergun approach. We at The Top Flight, take a look at what their plans are for the new season.

Chelsea: Schedule until October

The pandemic-hit football landscape has made it difficult for clubs to embark on voyages to the far corners of the world.

Gone are the days of flying to the United States or Japan to take part in a summer tournament. Clubs, rather, are expected to stay close to home and partake in friendly fixtures against familiar foes.

The Blues, as it stands, won’t even leave London for their pre-season preparations. They will participate in a three-way tournament against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur before traveling to Belfast for the UEFA Super Cup.

Here is what their schedule looks like, including the pre-season and two months of competitive action:

A difficult start for the Blues then, one which could make or break their season as early as September. But how is the club planning to deal with the fixture congestion personnel-wise?