Chelsea’s Rejuvenation: Are Things Turning Around at Stamford Bridge?

Earlier this season, it looked like Chelsea FC was on its way to an incredibly average Premier League campaign. At the beginning of 2023, they sat at mid-table, far away from qualifying for a spot in Europe and looking DOA in the Champions League.

Since their disappointing 1-0 loss against relegation candidate Southampton on February 18th, the Blues have been undefeated in all competitions. The offense is producing goals, the new transfer acquisitions are demonstrating their talents, and things appear on the uptick at Stamford Bridge. Let’s see where these improvements are coming from.

Improvement in Form Over The Past Month

In the Premier League, the Blues have won three straight matches and have scored six goals in the past three games. Chelsea has had trouble finding their offense this year. Their recent streak of multiple goals in consecutive games is the first time this has happened for the club since a five-game stretch at the beginning of October 2022. Chelsea sits five to seven points off a spot to qualify for European play next year.

Speaking of European competitions, the Blues kept their bid for a third Champions League title alive with a comeback 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund at home. The two goals allowed them to pass through to the quarterfinal draw. The quarterfinal draw will be on Friday, March 17. The Blues won their second Champions League title in 2021 against Manchester City.

The three-game win streak has given the new transfers and the established roster opportunities to learn to play together. New acquisitions Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk both had assists to established Chelsea players Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic in their 3-1 win over Leicester City this past week.

Intriguing Futures for the Rest of the Season

Given Chelsea’s recent improvement in form, there are several intriguing bets out in the marketplace for bettors looking for opportunities over the rest of the Premier League season.

Chelsea is five points outside the top six and eleven points off of the top four. They’re going off at +500 to finish in the top six and +2800 to finish in the top four. The +500 seems like a smash, given the number of games they have left. The +2800 seems like a stretch, but a fun lottery ticket.

For Champions League futures, the Blues are +450 to reach the final and +1100 to win the Champions League. These lines will change after the draw on Friday, but if the Blues can avoid either of the betting favorites next round (Manchester City and Bayern Munich) they could have a path to the final that won’t cause them too much trouble.