After a season filled with mixed emotions, Chelsea is finally glad that their season has come to a close. Ownership issues with the Russia-Ukrainian war and disappointing second-place finishes to their cup campaigns were not something the FIFA Club World Cup champions wanted in the 2021/2022 season.
Despite the disappointing finishes and no silverware except for the Club World Cup, Chelsea still finished 3rd in the Premier League and are once again in the Champions League battle.
It was a year of holding on and looking positively ahead to the new season under new ownership for the club. For Thomas Tuchel, it might not have been the ideal season, but fortune was not with the side.
However, this has not kept fans purchasing Chelsea tickets to watch their team in action.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Trophies: UEFA Super Cup & the FIFA Club World Cup
Season Summary
2021, 2022 season was the club’s 116th season in action and was the club’s 33rd consecutive season in top-tier English football. Going into the season as UEFA Champions League winners and being crowned as FIFA Club World Cup winners, a lot was expected of Chelsea.
At one time, it looked like it became a three-horse race with Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea battling for the league title.
Shortly after, it became a two-team battle, with Chelsea unable to keep up the momentum. Two failed finals on penalties and a Champions League loss to Real Madrid on aggregate completed the season.
Finals to Forget
Chelsea was dominant in the cup tournaments they played – in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. These tournaments saw the team perform well in the group stages but couldn’t get it right in the final.
In the EFL Cup final, Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 and 1-0 to advance to the finals to face Liverpool. The Liverpool-Chelsea EFL final became one of the iconic battles between the two sides.
After a closely contested 90 minutes, the game went to extra time and penalties. The penalty shootout between Chelsea and Liverpool was a battle for the ages, with no team giving any margin for error.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel made a tactical change to take out first-choice goalkeeper Eduardo Mendy and bring in Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has a reputation for being a penalty specialist minutes before the completion of extra time.
After the first five penalties, there was nothing to separate the two sides, and the game went to sudden death. It finally came down to the goalkeepers, and unfortunately, the Chelsea goalkeeper missed his shot at goal to give Liverpool the win.
Two months later, Tuchel ensured he didn’t substitute Mendy for Kepa in the FA Cup final against Liverpool but still couldn’t make it count. The game went to extra time and then to penalties.
This time around, the game did not go until the goalkeeper penalty, but Liverpool got the win 5-6 on penalties.
Champions League Exit
The defending champions of Europe, entered the competition with hopes of retaining the silverware. It was a successful campaign in the group stage, with four wins, a draw, and a single loss. The round of 16 was an easy go for the Blues’ with the team winning 4-1 on aggregate against Lille.
The pressure test came in the quarterfinals when they faced Real Madrid. The opener saw them lose at Stamford Bridge 1-3 but staged an admiring comeback at the Bernabeu. Chelsea scored three goals but could not stop the goal-scoring brilliance of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.
Had it not been for the brace by Benzema, it would have been a comeback to remember.
Chelsea excited this year’s tournament in the quarterfinals, losing 5-4 on aggregate.
Takeover turmoil
As tensions between Russia and Ukraine started to rise early in 2022, there was a lot of concern over Chelsea’s ownership. With Chelsea owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, a close associate of the Russian government, there were concerns about ownership with government sanctions.
As sanctions came to play for all Russian enterprises, the government froze the investment by Abramovich in Chelsea.
Abramovich responded and opted to proceed with the sale of the club in the club’s best interest and pledged the proceeds to the Chelsea Foundation. Abramovich was a name synonymous with Chelsea – where the club’s origin story to glory started with his takeover in 2003.
When the ownership was in a quandary, the club’s funding was frozen, it went to a point where they were facing discrepancies in paying player salaries.
The transfer is finally complete, and currently, Chelsea is under the consortium owned by Todd Boehly. Key investors also include Lewis Hamilton and Serena Williams.
Player of the Season
Arriving at the club after a long stint at PSG, you might have thought Thiago Silva was here to see his way out. But, it was the exact opposite. Making a move in 2020 to Chelsea, Silva was phenomenal this season at the back.
At 37 years, he is still making the crucial tackles, marking the players, and ensuring aligned defenses. A close second place would be Mason Mount for his performance throughout the season.
The penalty miss in the FA Cup final against Liverpool is by no means taking away the good work he’s done on the field this season.
With 11 goals and ten assists, Mount should be a fitting second.
Players who will leave
Chelsea is looking for a fresh lineup and is interested in letting go of some of their squad players. According to sources, selected star players will exit the team this transfer window.
The Timo Werner experiment did not materialize, and Werner is expected to find a new home, while Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Ross Barkley are also set to transfer out.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is also set to find himself a team that will give him to be the first-choice goalkeeper once again.
It is no surprise to see players like Barkeley and Kepa leaving since they don’t see a future with the club. The exit of Werner is solely due to his inability to blend in after two seasons.
Romelu Lukaku proved to be worthless for the Blues’ in the concluded season, but Tuchel is willing to give the Belgian striker another chance in the 2022-23 season.
New Signings
With the season coming close, all eyes will be on the transfer window. With the new ownership, the team will spend $200m. One of the key signings that could replace Werner would be Heung Min Son.
The Spurs’ superstar was the Golden Boot winner this season and achieved this feat without a single penalty. There are several other moves that Chelsea is linked with right now.
Ivan Perisic – Several bids are in place for Perisic, with Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus also interested
Ousman Dembele: Chelsea is ready to reopen talks with Xavi’s Barcelona on a possible switch for Dembele.
Marc Cucurella – the Brighton defender, is another hot pick in the Premier League transfer market, with Manchester City and Liverpool also interested.
Jules Kounde: The Sevilla defender is another on the Chelsea shortlist and will be one of the first signings Tuchel is set to make when the window opens. The transfer could not go through in the January window, and Kunde will finally join the team.
Getting your Chelsea Tickets
With the intense competition on the field, despite no silverware. Planning to get Chelsea tickets have become challenging. Along with the high competition, the prices of tickets have also soared.
Expect Chelsea tickets to be even harder to find for the new season.
Chelsea tickets are divided based on the stands, and prices can vary based on the enclosure. But if you want to find Chelsea tickets cheap, you will need to do a fair share of research because the tickets don’t come cheap.
Of course, you could be checking out Chelsea’s official website and their app for tickets, but the chances are that they will be sold out weeks before or be extremely expensive.
Instead, Seatsnet offers an excellent alternative for Chelsea fans to enjoy a great game of football and divulge in the complete Chelsea experience by offering Chelsea tickets.
The largest ticketing destination dedicated to sports and music events across the globe, the platform simplifies getting a Chelsea ticket.
You will find a list of authorized sellers and their sales history when you filter out Chelsea tickets on the platform. You will have options based on the game, tournament, and even seating options.
Still, Chelsea tickets are competitive, so you’ll need to act fast to make sure you get yours.
