The Premier League season got underway last night as Manchester United managed to edge their way past Leicester City to register their first three points of the season. It was a tight and nervy affair but the Red Devils managed to get the job done, and now, the eyes of the football world will turn to this weekend as the rest of the big boys get their seasons underway. One team that is a matter of hours away from doing so is Chelsea, as they travel up north to take on Huddersfield Town.

The Blues have had something of an ‘intriguing’ summer over the course of the last few months, with so much uncertainty from the moment last season ended right up until today. It was no secret that the relationship between the club and Antonio Conte just wasn’t working out, and eventually, it all came to the boiling point as Conte left the club – which was a move everyone was expecting.

Another move that was expected was the introduction of former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri as his successor, and since he’s walked through the door fans have had more questions than answers. While they’ve certainly done some good business throughout the window, that’ll all be for nothing if they aren’t able to put together a campaign that sees them force their way into the top four. Still, though, is that the end goal that all Blues fans want this season?

Because to us, it seems as if they’re already aiming higher. Despite finding themselves in a very similar position to Arsenal with a new manager following a disappointing campaign, the Blues seem to be a little less ‘down to Earth’ than the Gunners, which is incredibly ironic given that Arsenal fans are usually the ones who get criticised for that sort of thing.

Some Chelsea supporters are still talking about the possibility of them challenging for the Premier League title and while that remains a slim possibility, the important word there is ‘slim’. Manchester City are the clear and obvious favourites to win the championship yet again, Liverpool have a tremendous squad, and if Tottenham Hotspur builds some momentum then they could certainly be in the discussion too. With Chelsea, though, it’s important for them to keep their feet firmly placed on the ground – especially in a division like the Premier League.

The top flight can be so unforgiving on any given week and if they don’t take the Terriers seriously this weekend, then they could really suffer. The opening day is so important when it comes to figuring out if your main tactics work, or seeing whether or not your summer acquisitions need some time to grow into their new role.

Overconfidence is something that can always threaten to spread throughout any squad and if Chelsea start getting bullied on the ball this weekend, then don’t be surprised to see them implode. The key to their success in this game is going to be neutralising any kind of physicality that Huddersfield tries and bring upon them, implementing a quick passing game that frustrates the home side.

Their new-look midfield is one of the main attributes that they possess heading into the new campaign, and they really do need to utilise that. If they can impress against a side lower down than them and win by a few goals, that’d send a message to the rest of the league. Maurizio Sarri is a mysterious individual in many ways and we’re excited to see what kind of line-up he goes with, but regardless of that, we’re going to predict a narrow win for the Blues.

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