It will be a new start for Chelsea in more ways than one when the 2022-23 season gets under way this weekend.
Thomas Tuchel's side will kick off their campaign on Saturday against Everton hoping to put the troubles of last season behind them.
The last term at Stamford Bridge was overshadowed by the dramatic change of ownership and months of uncertainty over the way forward.
Strict restrictions were put on Chelsea after their then owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Vladimir Putin.
The remainder of the season was spent in a state of flux, with a new ownership group led by Todd Boehly looking to get the Blues back on track.
They have made some progress since. Raheem Sterling became Chelsea's first signing of the Boehly era after a £50m move from Manchester City as Romelu Lukaku was sent back to Inter Milan on loan.
Chelsea saw centre-backs Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen join Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively on free transfers. They paid £34 million for Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, with the central defender signing a four-year contract.
However, signs on the field have been far from encouraging. In their three-game close-season tour of the United States, Chelsea lost on penalties to Charlotte before getting thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal, which led to Tuchel questioning the commitment of his players. They did beat Udinese 3-1 and then again in a training game against the same opponents in Italy, with Sterling scoring his first Chelsea goal since arriving from City.
Chelsea, who finished third last season, will be hoping things fall into place by Saturday and the players were busy ironing out any flaws during training.
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Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea during a pre-season friendly behind closed doors against Udinese at Dacia Arena in Udine on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Getty -
Chelsea's Ben Chilwell during the friendly against Udinese at Dacia Arena. Getty -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored for Chelsea on Saturday. Getty -
Hakim Ziyech also scored on Saturday. Getty -
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech celebrate scoring against Udinese. Getty -
Ruben Loftus-Cheek of Chelsea celebrates his goal. Getty -
The teams line up prior to the match at Dacia Arena. Getty
