Chelsea have fielded the youngest starting XI in the past three Premier League seasons. But new manager Xabi Alonso has set about building the same blend of youth and experience at Stamford Bridge that earned an unprecedented league and cup double for Bayer Leverkusen three seasons ago in Germany.

The approach also incudes an emphasis on mentality, to match the metrics and motivation, plus height, pace and physicality to handle Europe’s toughest title chase.

The Basque coach’s pre-season training has been intense and friendly matches have suggested the principles of play he is instilling.

The team have shown progressive passing, front-to-back attacking, width from wingers and full-backs and less dependency on possession for its own sake.

Those who missed out on FIFA’s international jamboree at the World Cup – such as Estevao Willian, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro (prolific in pre-season) – are looking promisingly sharp.

Plenty of the Cobham cohort have caught Alonso’s eye, while new arrivals like 18-year-old Kazakh national hero Dastan Satpayev (now on loan at Burnley) justified their switch with impressive cameos.

Morgan Rogers reunited with Manchester City academy team-mate Cole Palmer offers the prospect of a team with two scheming No10s. The high-profile signing from Aston Villa will have savoured scoring on his friendly debut against Real Sociedad.

Little needs saying about centre-forward Danny Welbeck or midfield general Jordan Henderson except that their vast Premier League experience is matched only by the high regard shown for them by their footballing peers.

France international Maxence Lacroix has crossed London from Crystal Palace with exceptional metrics for a centre-back.

Marco Palestra arrives from Serie A having clocked the fastest average speed last season, with multiple take-ons in the red-and-blue of Cagliari.

Fellow full-back Pep Chavarria is a tenacious speedster with a TikTok-perfect portfolio of stunning goals from distance for Rayo Vallecano.

Mike Penders‘ great height and concentration invite comparisons with Chelsea’s most recent title-winning goalkeeper and fellow Belgian Thibaut Courtois.

Meanwhile, Austin MacPhee, one of the most successful set-play masterminds over recent seasons, has switched over from the Villa Park dugout to Stamford Bridge.

Last season, the scheming Scot’s plotting led to 29 goals from set-pieces for Villa, the joint-most in the top flight, with Rogers handed a key role.

In 2025/26, Chelsea scored the fifth-most goals and had the sixth-highest goal difference, but there is room for improvement on game management, discipline and responding to adversity.

Disappointingly, Chelsea let 17 points slip from winning positions at home – the most of any team in the division. Red cards contributed towards the Blues losing 19 points from a possible 24 in the league – including in the equivalent to our opening fixture at Fulham.

Alonso and his staff will set out to rewire those negatives to positives.

- We will be bringing you more insight ahead of the new season throughout the week, including a look at the competitions we will be involved in, new regulations for the season and upcoming milestones...