The favourite son is back. Frank Lampard can appear the opposite of Maurizio Sarri, a manager who did not understand Chelsea and who the fans disliked, but the objectives will be the same: to finish in the top four and win silverware.
The context has changed, though, with Eden Hazard gone, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek injured, Chelsea labouring under a transfer ban, though still signing the unproductive Mateo Kovacic.
It will be interesting to see how many opportunities Lampard gives youngsters Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori; it could be an indication of a change of ethos.
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Who finishes where in 2019-20?
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Key player: Jorginho
Booed by fans last season, in part because he was seen as Sarri’s favourite and partly because his 3,118 Premier League passes did not bring a single assist.
Lampard is unlikely to afford the Italian preferential treatment and should recalibrate the midfield to emphasise N'Golo Kante's strengths so it will be instructive how he uses Jorginho.
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Chelsea youngsters impress in pre-season
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Signing to watch: Christian Pulisic
Actually bought in January, as Chelsea sought to future-proof themselves against the transfer ban and Hazard's departure, but arriving now. With Hudson-Odoi injured, the American winger assumes a further importance.
At 20, he is one for the future, but he has never scored over four Bundesliga goals in a season. Chelsea need more than that.
Talking point: Who will get the goals?
Hazard scored twice as many league goals as any other Chelsea player last season when Willian’s diminishing return was an issue and Loftus-Cheek was the only midfielder to get more than three.
It is in part a question of the system, but also of the striking pecking order as the underused Olivier Giroud was the Europa League’s top scorer, Michy Batshuayi averaged a goal every 151 minutes for Crystal Palace and Abraham struck 26 times for Aston Villa. Yet none, arguably, would be starting for any of the other top-six sides and Chelsea could be the least potent of the elite.
