Ultimate Guide to Chelsea's 2016/17 Season
Chelsea's Premier League season kicks off on Monday night, as they face West Ham United beneath the lights at Stamford Bridge.
Throw into the mix that it's a London derby, and the stage is set for the romantics who have been waiting for this moment since the end of May.
Back then, the landscape was very much different in west London. Chelsea were still awaiting the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte and were heading into the summer on the back of a sobering campaign.
The Blues surrendered the title in woeful style. In fact, it was the worst defence of the Premier League trophy since English football's top flight was rebranded in 1992. Yes, statistics tell us it was even worse than Blackburn Rovers in 1995/96.
With Conte's arrival, the pessimism that defined the past 12 months has gradually been replaced with hope. Chelsea supporters have been instantly endeared to the new manager, and there's a sense 2016/17 is going to be much more positive.
So what do Chelsea have to look forward to? What's the one game they can mark in the calendar? Can they get back to winning trophies?
Bleacher Report attempts to answer all these questions and more.
The Manager
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It's hard not to be impressed by Antonio Conte. He's been in the Chelsea job barely a month and already the Blues are looking revitalised.
The Italian has gone about his business methodically. After he spent a few weeks working with his players before allowing some to leave permanently or on loan, the feeling is that his appointment will be just as significant as when Jose Mourinho first arrived in 2004.
Back then, Mourinho's task was to propel Chelsea forward and enjoy success. He did that; so much so the club relied on his blueprint for far too long. Now, Conte has come in and is changing Chelsea's approach. We're seeing new formations and systems and a different style of play.
This is very much Chelsea 2.0 of the Roman Abramovich era. There's been a total reboot.
The fact Chelsea bottomed out last year has helped Conte in his task. It was clear the club needed a change of direction, and Conte has wasted little time in implementing that. It all feels much more positive than it did in May, when we were left guessing what direction the club would be taking.
Pre-season has largely been productive, and it will take time for Chelsea to rebuild. For all the comparisons between Mourinho and Conte, it's important to note each manager was at a different stage when taking control. Conte's attempting to restore Chelsea, and it's not going to be an overnight success.
Now as the season starts, the real work begins. We've seen Conte impress in the first few weeks of his reign, but he must do it for real in the Premier League.
The New Boys
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For a team that was described as needing a complete overhaul this summer, we haven't seen that approach from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy yet.
On the eve of the new campaign, just two new players have joined Chelsea, with Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante reinforcing Antonio Conte's options in attack and midfield.
Batshuayi has shown in pre-season that he isn't the complete package just yet. The potential is undoubtedly there, but he needs time to become a player worth the £30 million fee Chelsea paid Marseille for him. Chelsea have signed Batshuayi two transfer windows early, and as the season develops, the expectation is that Batshuayi will too.
He looks physical, and sitting on the shoulder of defenders, he often breaks the gain line to get in behind. With a form Cesc Fabregas feeding Batshuayi, the prospects are good on paper at least.
A man who has no such question marks about him is Kante. We saw what he did with Leicester City last season to give them a formidable midfield, and now he's been employed by Chelsea to do the same.
There haven't been any defensive signings yet. Instead, Chelsea have allowed two defenders to leave, with Papy Djilobodji joining Sunderland and Baba Rahman going on loan to Schalke. But Kante should be the start of shoring things up at the back.
His job will be to screen John Terry and Gary Cahill, which should make the back line harder to breach, giving a stronger platform from which to build. Chelsea's problem last season was that they were out of games before ever being in them.
Kante's only part of the solution, though. We can't expect him to make all of Chelsea's problems go away. Some fresh blood is needed at the back, if only to give Conte more options as he starts the season with just four recognised first-team defenders.
That has to change.
Jose Mourinho: Friend or Foe?
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Chelsea play Liverpool and Arsenal before Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on October 22, but it's facing the Red Devils that every Blues fan is counting down to.
Why? It's the return of Jose Mourinho.
This isn't going to be a fairytale homecoming, though. Mourinho will be going to Stamford Bridge looking for blood. Sure, it's only three points on the line, but he will want to get one over his former players.
Performances were awful come the end of Mourinho's reign—we can't dress it up to suggest otherwise. Just six months after winning a championship in May 2015, Chelsea were flirting with a relegation battle, and the manager could no longer get the best out of his players.
Shortly before he was sacked, Mourinho spoke of being "betrayed" in the defeat against Leicester City that ended his second spell with Chelsea.
It'll be nine games into the season with him as United manager, so this fixture comes at a good time. His team should be looking more fluid, as should Chelsea under Mouriinho's permanent replacement, Antonio Conte.
The season will be picking up pace, and as ever, Mourinho will be wanting to put down a firm marker for his side's title chances.
How will Chelsea fans react? The Special One is against them over 38 games now. He'll be gunning for the Blues.
They stood by Mourinho through everything last season, and now Chelsea fans are asking, is he a friend or foe?
We'll find out in October. Mark it on your calendars.
The Renaissance of Eden Hazard
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For Chelsea to achieve anything this season, they need their talisman back to fitness and form.
Eden Hazard struggled for many reasons last term, with a hip problem not helping. It's his gluteus maximus that is a big part of Hazard's game, using his buttocks to power past players. It gains him a few extra inches in the first yards of a sprint, and that can often prove all the difference.
His injury stopped him doing that, but since late April and all through pre-season, he has shown he is over the problem. He is back to isolating defenders and exposing them with his skill and pace. He is also looking sharp in front of goal, scoring twice against Real Madrid in Chelsea's 3-2 defeat to the European champions last month.
We're predicting a return to his 2014/15 form when Chelsea won the league. And if that prediction rings true, Chelsea are going to be formidable again. Hazard was a significant influence in that title-winning campaign, and when he's in peak condition, there isn't a better attacker in English football.
In the words of Chubbs Peterson of Happy Gilmore fame, "It's all in the hips."
Magic of the Cup
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With no European football to contend with this season, Antonio Conte's Chelsea have just three competitions they can win—the Premier League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
They're all domestic, but they still offer Conte a chance to make an early impression by winning some silverware. That was the approach of Jose Mourinho when he first arrived, and it worked wonders with a team that had never won trophies together.
What's important for Conte is that silverware will change the conversation at Chelsea and restore the squad's belief after their failures. While Mourinho's exploits still dominate conversation at Stamford Bridge, the new boss needs to ensure the Portuguese becomes a thing of the past. The only way to do that is by overcoming his achievements.
It's trophies that dictate success, and for all the early work Conte has done, he will be in Mourinho's shadow until the trophy cabinet begins to be refilled.
Chelsea start their EFL Cup campaign against Bristol Rovers in late August, and it's vital they attack success from the outset. With no midweek European football to play, the cups have a heightened sense of importance and are an avenue for Chelsea to re-assert themselves in English football.
Conte can't turn down the opportunity.
Title Contenders?
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If Chelsea can collapse as spectacularly as they did last year, there's no reason to suggest they can't bounce back just as quick. From Premier League champions, they were a mid-table team in a matter of weeks last season.
The Blues still boast a talented squad, and with Antonio Conte's changes this summer, things are looking positive. There is a renewed sense of purpose about the players who have the experience of having done it all before.
John Terry is a four-time Premier League champion, while Cesc Fabregas has been successful with Barcelona and Spain. This is a team with the know-how and a manager who is no stranger to victory himself.
Restoring some pride and purpose is one thing, but winning the title? Chelsea have a lot more to achieve before we can start labeling them as contenders. Challengers, maybe, but the notion of being a contender suggests they're going to last the pace and push the Manchester teams who boast Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, not to mention over £260 million of new talent between them.
Without setting their sights too low, Chelsea have to focus solely on getting back into the top four. Anything beyond that is a bonus, given the turmoil they've experienced.
Conte's side are taking baby steps, and for that reason alone, a full-on pursuit of the Premier League crown may be a season too early for them.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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