Chelsea
Odds: 4/9
Last Five Seasons
2005/06 – 1 (Premiership), 2004/05 – 1 (Premiership), 2003/04 – 2 (Premiership), 2002/03 – 4 (Premiership), 2001/02 – 6 (Premiership).
2005/06 Cup Progress
FA Community Shield Winners vs Arsenal (n) – won 2-1.
Champions League Last 16 vs Barcelona – lost 3-2 on aggregate.
FA Cup Semi Final (n) vs Liverpool (a) – lost 2-1.
Carling Cup Third Round vs Charlton Athletic (h) – lost 5-4 on penalties with score at 1-1 after extra time.
Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Frank Lampard (midfield) – 20 goals.
Players In
Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan – £30,000,000), Jon Obi Mikel (Lyn Oslo – £16,000,000), Salomon Kalou (Feyenoord – £3,000,000), Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich – Free).
Players Out
Eidur Gudjohnsen (Barcelona – £8,000,000), Damien Duff (Newcastle United – £5,000,000), Asier Del Horno (Valencia – £4,800,000), Carlton Cole (West Ham United – Undisclosed), Hernan Crespo (Inter Milan – Free), Jiri Jarosik (Celtic – Free), Dean Furman (Rangers – Free), Leonard Pidgeley (Millwall – Free), Filipe Morais (Millwall – Free), Danny Hollands (Bournemouth – Free), Dean Smith (Aldershot – Free), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth – Loan), Anthony Grant (Wycombe Wanderers – Loan).
A season of Premiership dominance was the order of the day last season, with Chelsea winning the league by eight clear points. The Blues won 18 of their 19 matches at Stamford Bridge, drew the other and only looked susceptible to defeat after the title was sewn up.
The Champions League eluded manager Jose Mourinho for the second season running, with his side crashing out in the first knockout stage to Barcelona. He has responded by signing two high profile players this summer.
AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko, coveted by some as the world’s best striker, signed for £30 million while Germany captain Michael Ballack arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.
Shevchenko scored 127 goals in 208 Serie A appearances for Milan after bursting onto the scene with Dinamo Kiev in 1997. Ballack has proven to be a goal scoring midfielder, scoring 44 goals in 107 league appearances for Bayern Munich and finding the net 31 times in 68 matches for his country.
A whole host of players have been shipped out of the club as Mourinho chases the grand prize of the Champions League. Hernano Crespo departed for Inter Milan, long serving Eidur Gudjohnsen left for Barcelona, Damien Duff in a shock £5 million move to Newcastle and Asier Del Horno returned to Spain among others.
Verdict
Chelsea have strengthened the squad that already no other team can match with two world class additions. There is no value in it, but they will win the league again at short 4/9 odds.