Last season quickly unravelled for Chelsea. Fresh from lifting the FIFA Club World Cup and buoyed by optimism around Enzo Maresca’s project, the Blues stumbled to a disappointing 10th-place Premier League finish.They replaced Maresca with Liam Rosenior midway through the season, but he failed to turn things around, leaving before the campaign was over.The reset since the end of the 2025/26 season has been dramatic. With Xabi Alonso now at the helm and another wave of changes to the first-team squad, Chelsea head into the new season looking very different — and with intriguing trophy possibilities.Alonso has arrived at Stamford Bridge after establishing himself as one of Europe’s brightest young coaches, and Chelsea have wasted little time reshaping their squad around the Spaniard’s ideas. Rather than continuing their scattergun recruitment policy based around youth and potential, this summer’s business has carried a clear tactical identity with more established figures.The clearest indication of Chelsea’s direction is the signing of Morgan Rogers. The former Aston Villa attacker looks tailor-made for the role Florian Wirtz played under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, operating as one of two attacking midfielders behind the striker.Rogers contributed 10 Premier League goals and six assists last season, while no Villa player created more Big Chances or recorded a higher Expected Assists (xA) figure. His ability to carry the ball, create chances and arrive in scoring positions should make him one of the focal points of Alonso’s attack, with Cole Palmer expected to occupy the opposite attacking midfield role.