It has been a season that has changed Chelsea forever.
The sanctions placed on owner Roman Abramovich and the sale of the club have overshadowed the final months of the campaign. Fans are now looking to the future under prospective new owner Todd Boehly.
On the pitch, it has been an eventful season too. Chelsea have not challenged for the title and suffered a quarter-final exit in the Champions League, but they reached the final of both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup before losing both to Liverpool on penalties.
Here, Standard Sport assesses the 2021-22 season at Stamford Bridge…
The season in one word: Chaotic
Star of the show: Thomas Tuchel
He has not only been the manager, but the club statesman during a period of unprecedented uncertainty.
At times he has had to answer questions and provide assurances in the absence of other club figures stepping forward to be a voice to supporters.
Biggest let down: Romelu Lukaku
He was supposed to be the final piece of the jigsaw in Chelsea’s bid for the title.
Instead he spent much of the campaign on the sidelines, struggling with injury, illness and his adaptation to Tuchel’s system.
Despite that, he did still end up the club’s leading scorer.
Most improved player: Mateo Kovacic
The quality was always there – but this was the season when he became a dominant figure at the heart of the team.
If not for injuries, he might well have been Chelsea’s Player of the Year – and Tuchel’s side might have got a lot closer to Manchester City and Liverpool.
Game to remember:Real Madrid 2-3 Chelsea (12/4/22)
A wild night in Madrid ended Chelsea’s reign as European champions – but provided the highlight of their campaign.
For 75 minutes at the Bernabeu they were irresistible – racing to a 3-0 lead to stun the Real fans and put them on the verge of the semi-final.
Even if Karim Benzema ended their fairy-tale, it was a game to live long in the memory.
Game to forget:Wolves 0-0 Chelsea (19/12/21)
There were a lot – particularly around the midway point of the season when injuries and Covid struck.
Chelsea wanted this game, a week before Christmas, postponed.
The Premier League refused and what followed was a tedious grind at Molineux.
Rising star: Trevoh Chalobah
He went from the verge of heading back out on loan, to winning the Super Cup and scoring a screamer on the opening day of the season.
The defender has played beyond his years at times this season – and in a summer when Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are walking away, he could be required a lot more next term.
Manager verdict
It is hard to judge Tuchel purely on what has happened on the pitch, given the remarkable events off it and how he has kept the club together.
Two more trophies could have been four after losing both domestic cup finals on penalties to Liverpool.
The big disappointment has been in the league and he must show that he can close the gap to City and Liverpool.
Injuries played a big part in Chelsea’s challenge faltering so early – but the suspicion is he needs to find another dimension to their play because, from an attacking perspective, it is nowhere near good enough to take on Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
Fans’ mood: Hopeful
The supporters have been put through it this season, with the sale of the club overshadowing the final months of the campaign.
But with Todd Boehly’s takeover almost complete, they can look forward to the future.
That comes with uncertainty, but in a summer when major investment is needed, they will get an idea of what the American is about almost straight away.
Grade: B
