Who ' s in and who ' s out ?
Season expectations ?
What ' s their reality ?
Fixtures to look out for
Key Man : Eden Hazard
Young Star : Tammy Abraham Marmite Man : Diego Costa In 3 Words : Lost , dangerous , potent Odds ( Bet356 ): Title : 11 / 2 Relegation : 750 / 1 Prediction : 5th
Chelsea
Last Season Premier League : 10th FA Cup : Sixth Round League Cup : Fourth Round Champions League : Last-16 Top Scorer ( all ): Diego Costa ( 16 )
Just when everything was seemingly calm and well at Stamford Bridge , 2015 / 16 comes along and ruins it all . Only one word can describe Chelsea last season . Abysmal . Long time favourite Guus Hiddink tried to steady a rapidly sinking vessel after Jose Mourinho was sacked in mid-December , but he could only steer them to their worst league finish since 1996 , in what was the worst ever defence of a title . A fresh start looms under new boss Antonio Conte who shone as coach of Italy during Euro 2016 . Fireworks , flare-ups and lots of fun can be expected off the pitch , but what about on it ? With no European commitments , this could be the ideal opportunity for Chelsea to restore themselves at the top of the tree . Or is a season of transition on the horizon ?
Who ' s in and who ' s out ?
Conte for starters , along with a host of his trusted backroom staff . It ' s bye-bye to Radamel Falcao and Alexandre Pato who ' s respective loans were not built upon , while Mohamed Salah has joined Roma for £ 14.5m . Just over £ 65m has been forked out to accommodate the arrivals of Leicester City ' s midfield dynamo N ' Golo Kante and the Belgian front man Michy Batshuayi as Chelsea prepare to spend big .
Season expectations ?
Much , much better than last season . That is the bare minimum and will be difficult to repeat . With Stamford Bridge nearing renovations , securing European football is a must . Mounting a title assault now that there ' s no distractions elsewhere .
What ' s their reality ?
The title has never felt so far away from Chelsea ' s grasp . Conte may be a brilliant manager but he is no miracle worker . A spot in the top four should be celebrated , but fans are likely to be inpatient as they pray for a quick fix .
Fixtures to look out for
Their first ever Friday night fixture against Liverpool on September 16th is intriguing , while Mourniho will be back at the bridge with United on October 22nd . Their first fixture of 2017 is a special one as they make the short trip to play Spurs in a usually goal-laden affair .
Key Man : Eden Hazard
Young Star : Tammy Abraham Marmite Man : Diego Costa In 3 Words : Lost , dangerous , potent Odds ( Bet356 ): Title : 11 / 2 Relegation : 750 / 1 Prediction : 5th