Club guide: Chelsea

Title: 7-4 Relegation: 2,000-1 Sack Race: 33-1

Transfers

IN

Ramires (Benfica, £18.3m), Y Benayoun (Liverpool, £5.5m), T Kalas (Sigma Olmouc, £5m), M Delac (Inter Zapresic, £2.7m)

total spent: £31.5m

OUT

R Carvalho (R Madrid, £6.7m), M Stoch (Fenerbahce, £4.9m), S Sinclair (Swansea, £1m), Deco (Fluminense, undisclosed), M Ballack (Bayer Leverkusen, free), J Cole (Liverpool, free), J Belletti (released), R Bertrand (Nottm Forest, loan), J Cork (Burnley, loan)

total made: £12.6m

Player to watch

Michael Essien. In the Community Shield, he looked to have overcome the knee injury that cruelly kept him out of the World Cup. His power and energy will be vital.

Squad worries

Only five homegrown players means using under-21s to bolster squad. Much midfield experience lost.

Manager speak

Carlo Ancelotti is a calming influence but made a rod for his own back with first-season success.

Story of the summer

Most of the Blues’ squad endured a horrible World Cup and Ancelotti’s side lost four of their five pre-season fixtures.

Last season 1st

Played the big games well to earn club’s first Double.

This season 2nd

Obsession with Champions League may hit title defence.