True Blues — Chelsea FC
ΕΛ

Season: 2022–23

Premier League

League

A season that began with a new ownership era and a reshaped squad ended in unfamiliar territory: twelfth place, no trophy and no European qualification.

Division
Premier League (Tier 1)
Manager
Thomas Tuchel (until 7 September 2022); Graham Potter (8 September 2022–2 April 2023); Bruno Saltor (interim, 2–6 April 2023); Frank Lampard (caretaker from 6 April 2023; final match 28 May 2023)
Top scorer (league)
Kai Havertz (7)
Top scorer (all comps)
Kai Havertz / Raheem Sterling (9)
Avg. league attendance
40,002

Cups & Europe

FA Cup
Round 3
League Cup
Round 3
Europe
European Cup / Champions League: Quarter-finals

Notes

A season that began with a new ownership era and a reshaped squad ended in unfamiliar territory: twelfth place, no trophy and no European qualification. Sterling, Koulibaly, Cucurella and Wesley Fofana were among the summer arrivals, while January brought another wave including Enzo Fernández, Mudryk, Madueke and João Félix on loan. New faces did not produce a settled team. Four men took charge from the dugout, goals were scarce and promising nights rarely became lasting momentum. For supporters used to Chelsea finding a way into the biggest occasions, 2022–23 was a long and frustrating watch. Thomas Tuchel began the campaign with a 1–0 win at Everton on 6 August, Jorginho scoring from the spot. The 2–2 home draw with Tottenham was fiercely contested, but defeats at Leeds and Southampton exposed early problems. Sterling’s two goals beat Leicester 2–1 despite Gallagher’s dismissal, and Chilwell and Havertz rescued another 2–1 win against West Ham. Tuchel’s last match was the 1–0 Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb on 6 September. He was dismissed on 7 September after seven competitive matches that season. Graham Potter was appointed from Brighton on 8 September on a five-year contract; his first match was the 1–1 home draw with Salzburg on 14 September. Potter’s first league game brought a welcome lift: Gallagher curled in a late winner at his former loan club Crystal Palace for a 2–1 victory on 1 October. Wins over Wolves and Aston Villa followed, while the Champions League offered some of the season’s most convincing football. But a 4–1 defeat at Brighton on 29 October was a jolt, and the league campaign lost direction. There were occasional recoveries, including the 2–0 win over Bournemouth after the World Cup break and March victories over Leeds and Leicester, but too many matches passed without an attacking breakthrough. The 2–0 home defeat by Aston Villa on 1 April proved to be Potter’s final match. He departed on 2 April after 31 competitive games. Bruno Saltor was placed in interim charge on 2 April and led just one match: the 0–0 home draw with Liverpool on 4 April. Frank Lampard returned as caretaker on 6 April for the remainder of the campaign. His first game was a 1–0 defeat at Wolves on 8 April, and the change did not halt the slide. Six straight defeats in all competitions preceded a 3–1 win at Bournemouth on 6 May, with Gallagher, Badiashile and Félix scoring. It was Lampard’s only victory in 11 matches. His final game, and the season’s last, was the 1–1 home draw with Newcastle on 28 May. A Trippier own goal cancelled out Gordon’s opener, leaving the Bridge to reflect on a campaign that had never found its rhythm. Chelsea finished twelfth with 44 points: 11 wins, 11 draws and 16 defeats, goals 38–47 and a −9 difference. At home the record was 6–7–6, goals 20–19; away it was 5–4–10, goals 18–28. Havertz led the league scoring with seven, ahead of Sterling’s six. They shared the overall lead on nine each: Havertz added two Champions League goals to his league total, Sterling three. Félix scored four, all in the league. No player reached double figures in any competition combined. Across the season’s 50 competitive matches, Chelsea won only 16. The average attendance over all 19 home league games was 40,002, with supporters continuing to turn up even as the football offered little reward. Europe briefly supplied the sense of occasion missing elsewhere. After the opening defeat in Zagreb, Chelsea recovered to win Champions League Group E with 13 points. Milan were beaten 3–0 at the Bridge on 5 October, through Fofana, Aubameyang and James, then 2–0 at San Siro six days later. A 2–1 win at Salzburg secured qualification and a 2–1 home win over Dinamo completed the group, Zakaria scoring on his debut. In the last 16, Dortmund won the first leg 1–0 on 15 February. The return on 7 March was one of the Bridge’s best nights of the season: Sterling struck before half-time and Havertz converted a retaken penalty after initially hitting the post. The 2–0 win overturned the tie 2–1 on aggregate and gave Potter a moment of genuine release. Real Madrid ended that hope in the quarter-finals under Lampard. Chelsea lost 2–0 at the Bernabéu on 12 April, with Chilwell sent off. There were chances to change the mood in the home leg on 18 April, but Courtois denied Cucurella before the break and Rodrygo scored twice after it. Another 2–0 defeat meant a 4–0 aggregate exit. Unlike the previous year’s defiant comeback in Madrid, there was no dramatic rescue this time. Both domestic cups ended at the first hurdle against Manchester City at the Etihad. The League Cup third-round tie on 9 November finished 2–0, Mahrez and Álvarez scoring. The FA Cup third round on 8 January was harsher: 4–0, with two from Mahrez and one each from Álvarez and Foden. There was no Wembley run to soften the league disappointment. The honest memory of this season is not a hidden triumph, but a few bright moments — Gallagher at Palace, the Milan victories, Dortmund under the lights — surrounded by a team searching for continuity and supporters waiting for Chelsea to feel like Chelsea again.

Kits

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Third

Three's final season.

Illustration from hex colours (not official kit photography).

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Sources

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