Chelsea's season is finally over. After 63 matches of the 2021/22 campaign, it's finally reached its conclusion.
There seems to be a general feeling of relief that the season is done amongst the Blues' fan base. A start of a new era is on the horizon, and for Chelsea, this could be a hugely intriguing summer.
The club need a huge rebuild. There is an overriding feeling that the squad selected for the season's final match against Watford will be completely different when the Blues walkout for their opening fixture of the 2022/23 campaign.
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Antonio Rudiger played his final match for Chelsea on Sunday. Andreas Christensen also looks set to move on. Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta could leave also.
There's uncertainty among the midfielders. Ross Barkley will surely look elsewhere to play more football. N'Golo Kante and Jorginho have just over 12 months remaining on their respective contracts.
Numerous Chelsea attackers face uncertain futures, too, with the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Romelu Lukaku all being linked with exits recently. There is a genuine case that over ten players could leave the club over the summer transfer window.
This might be what's needed. Chelsea needs to close the gap between themselves and the Premier League's top two - Liverpool and Manchester City. The Reds and City have set the bar so high in recent seasons, and their brutality when it comes to offloading players is a formula Chelsea should look to replicate if they are to have the same success as their Premier League rivals.
Saying all of this, there have been some tremendous performers over the 63-game-long season. There have also been some players with seasons to forget.
football.london takes a close look at the 'winners' and 'losers' from the 2021/22 season. Let us know down in the comment section below the article if you agree with us or not...
Winners
Mason Mount: It's been another brilliant season for the 23-year-old Chelsea academy product. Mount finished the season with 11 goals and 10 assists to his name in the Premier League. He was the Blues' top scorer in the competition and was crowned as the club's Player of the Season on Sunday afternoon.
The England international hasn't always been the most popular among the Chelsea fan base, particularly on social media. The numbers he's produced in what has been a really difficult season for Chelsea for a variety of reasons are tremendous. He's ended the season as a real winner.
Trevoh Chalobah: The breakthrough season that every young player needs at some point in their career. The 22-year-old looked set to be loaned out before the campaign began, but Thomas Tuchel was clearly impressed with the defender in pre-season and decided to keep him at the club.
Chalobah was one of Chelsea's most consistent performers throughout the season, and he looks like he could be a Blues defender for many years to come. Here's hoping we see something similar with Levi Colwill next season...
Reece James: James continues to amaze Chelsea supporters and football fans in general with his ability. The 22-year-old scored five and assisted nine goals in 26 Premier League appearances over the season.
The England international spent most of his time in the right wing-back role but also flourished when being pushed back to play in a back-three. Injuries marred what would have been a sensational season for James, but there's no doubt that he can be proud of what he achieved personally in 2021/22.
Losers
Romelu Lukaku: Now, this could seem quite harsh to some people. Lukaku finished the season as Chelsea's top goalscorer in all competitions, with 15 to his name. That is by no means a terrible return in his first season back in England.
However, the expectation placed on his shoulders, albeit it's not his fault, when signed for £97.5million was huge. This is someone who was backed to put Chelsea on a pedestal with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. The Blues were tipped by many to win the Premier League when the Belgian made the sensational return.
That hasn't happened, though, and when considering the interview he did towards the end of December, his season has been somewhat marred. It will be interesting to see what Chelsea does in the summer in terms of Lukaku. Perhaps Todd Boehly will want to hand the striker another chance, or the American may want to move him on to free up some funds for surgery elsewhere.
Cesar Azpilicueta:A true legend of Chelsea Football Club. Nobody can really debate otherwise. Azpilicueta looked a shadow of his former self, particularly towards the latter stage of the season.
The 32-year-old, in his defence, has been performing on an astonishingly consistent level ever since he made a move to Chelsea back in 2012 from Marseille. There had to be a day when he looked somewhat out of his depth, which may have come now.
The Chelsea captain could well move on this summer, with just over 12 months left on his deal. However, the legacy he will leave behind will live on in the club's history.
Timo Werner: Many thought after a disappointing debut season in England, the 2021/22 campaign is where we might start seeing the best of Werner. After absolutely ripping up the Bundesliga, the German forward came to Stamford Bridge with such high expectations.
That wasn't the case, though. Werner finished the season with just four goals in the Premier League to his name. 21 appearances the 26-year-old made throughout the top-flight campaign, but he once again struggled in front of goal.
There are some big decisions to come from both Werner's camp and the club regarding his future. The German international is bound to be one of the highest earners at Chelsea, and the club may need to be brutal - as mentioned above - in order to improve their squad.
