Chelsea's miserable season had a fitting conclusion on Sunday evening with a 1-1 draw against Champions League-bound Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.
It was a game that saw Chelsea control 64 per cent possession and take 22 shots and still fail to secure victory or even score a goal. That they equalised was courtesy of an own goal from Newcastle captain Kieran Trippier.
It summed up, and concluded, what can only be described as a disastrous debut season for the club's new owners, who surely could not have envisioned how badly their first year would unfold after parting with £4.25 billion to buy the Blues.
For Chelsea and their fans it will feel like a distant memory, but there was plenty of optimism and excitement surrounding the club last summer.
Chelsea had navigated through some very choppy waters amid government-imposed sanctions on the club and previous owner Roman Abramovich, and the arrival of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital – and their promise to invest in the club and squad – pointed to brighter times ahead.
They had a much-loved, elite-level manager in charge and had conducted some good summer business, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Wesley Fofana recruited to bolster the squad.
It didn't take long to unravel, though. Thomas Tuchel was remarkably sacked just a few weeks into the season and replaced by Graham Potter. The former Brighton manager started quite well but results soon took a downturn and he was dismissed after 31 games – and just 12 wins – into a five-year contract.
Even a record January transfer window, which included big-name arrivals like World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez, Atletico Madrid playmaker Joao Felix on loan, and highly-rated Ukrainian Mykhaylo Mudryk, could not reverse Chelsea's fortunes.
Frank Lampard returned to the Stamford Bridge dugout but his 11 games in charge yielded just one victory, to go with two draws and eight defeats.
So, after around £600 million spent on new players, Chelsea ended the season 12th in the Premier League – their lowest position since 1994 – following early exits in the League Cup and FA Cup, and being outclassed by Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The task now falls on former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino to pick up the pieces and return Chelsea back to the top table of English and European football.
Reviewing Chelsea's sorry season, check out the photo gallery above for the player ratings from the 2022/23 campaign. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or swipe if using a mobile device.
