Chelsea changes play into Man City and Liverpool FC hands for next season

It is hard to argue that Chelsea's model for chopping and changing managers under Roman Abramovic was not a hugely successful strategy.

Thomas Tuchel did in 2021 what Roberto di Matteo had managed nine years earlier and won the Champions League after only taking over in the middle of a campaign. The fact that Chelsea reached two cup finals last season also suggests that they are one of the best teams in the country on their day and well capable of winning silverware.

However, it does not appear a coincidence that the Premier League title has not presided at Stamford Bridge for six years and counting. The planning at the Etihad and Anfield has been so good for so long that they have become immune to the instant impact of a managerial change elsewhere.

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That was the primary reason why City were so concerned with Chelsea's activity last summer. A team that had already beaten them in the Champions League final had paid just shy of £100m to bring in Romelu Lukaku and strengthen further, building on the success they had already had.

Those concerns were founded, certainly in the early part of the season, as Chelsea set the pace pretty much until the beginning of December. Whether they would have lasted the course with a fully-fit squad is a moot point, but like Liverpool the previous year they were beset by an unfortunate raft of injuries in a short period of time that ultimately gutted their title challenge.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has subsequently brought a major overhaul in West London, with Abramovich replaced as owner, award-winning sporting director Marina Granovskaia leaving, and Lukaku being shunted back to Inter Milan for