How well did Chelsea do in the 2020/21 Premier League season?

Sensational doesn’t even come close to describing it with the German completely turning things around.

We all know just how badly the Blues performed defensively in the 2019/20 season but that may have been the one thing that slightly changed last term for them. It’s an inconsistent balance but there are crests and troughs in every area and this is no different but there are most definitely changes as compared to the previous season (2020/21 – 2019/20). For one, they had the second best, overall and amongst the top ten, defensive record (36-54) and that alone is a major change.

The Blues combined that with second best PSxG (Post-Shot Expected Goals) (32.9-41.0), the third most errors leading to a goal/shot (21-9) and had the sixth best successful pressure percentage (31.0%-30.9%). Furthermore, they committed the sixth most fouls (438-386), had the second best clean sheet percentage (47.4%-23.7%) and did that while averaging the fourth best points per game (1.76-1.74).

Only Leicester City, Southampton, Newcastle United and Brighton were worse. They also averaged 0.92 goals per 90 (1.42), had a -2.1 PSxG +/-  for the 2020/21 season, a higher number suggests better luck or an above-average ability to save shots. Their 2019/20 figure? -10.0 and once again, another drastic improvement. They still finished six from bottom with Leeds United leading the pack (+7.6) and Manchester City sat in ninth from bottom with a +1.3 rating.

Nothing. Nada. Zlich. Although Romelu Lukaku, arguably the best striker in the world, has signed for an insane 115 million fee and has made his way back to Chelsea. They were after Erling Haaland but his 150 million plus fee would have stopped them from getting more players in. Because, reportedly, that is the Chelsea plan, to once again splurge but this time on better players. Jules Kounde is at the top of their shortlist for a defender with Lukaku said to be the other major target.

But beyond that, the Blues don’t really need to make too many improvements or additions to their squad because they did most of it last summer. Enough to win them a Champions League trophy but enough to create a world-dominating squad? We’ll see.

Signing Romelu Lukaku and playing him alongside a forward that tends to thrive in a two-man system in Timo Werner might be the masterstroke that defines Thomas Tuchel, even if its one that fans and critics have been screaming at him to try. But should the two dovetail properly, should Chelsea's defensive behemoth continue to showcase their impressive nature at the back and should Tuchel not have an implosion with the board, then a title race is not out of the question.

Hell, they might even outpip Manchester City to the trophy because as problems go last season, Chelsea and Tuchel only had one; they struggled to score goals. But if Romelu Lukaku can't find his shooting boots, if Timo Werner struggles once again and if the defensive behemoth falls apart because it's being lead by a 36-year-old Thiago Silva, then questions may need to be asked because the floor is very low.