After capturing the 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League Championship, Chelsea are now putting the final touches together in order for another attempt at the title. They will begin the season as one of the favorites to finish the season on top, but there are some key departures that could have a major impact on a squad that finished the 2009-10 with an astonishing 103 goals, a Premier League record.
The Blues will once again depend on the performances of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, the team's most productive players last season. Drogba finished 2009-10 with 13 assists (the third highest in the league), as well as finishing the season as the league's top scorer with 29 goals. After fully recovering from a groin injury and a broken arm over the summer, he will undoubtedly be a premier producer for fantasy football players yet again. On par with Drogba is midfielder Frank Lampard, who finished top of the assists charts with 17, and fifth in goals with 22. Both players are fit and healthy entering the new season and should once again have a big impact in Fantasy Soccer leagues.
Along with Drogba and Lampard, Chelsea will be hoping for another big season from French winger Florent Malouda, who finished last season with with 12 goals and 9 assists. Although he may not rule in one particular category, his overall balanced performances provide solid contributions in both goals and assists.
Following a disappointing performance and controversial exit at the World Cup, expect Nicolas Anelka to return to the Blues with an inspired effort throughout the season to make up for his disappointing performance over the summer and re-establish himself as a world-class forward. This attitude should help him improve on last season's solid performance, when he finished with 10 assists (joint sixth in the league) and 11 goals. He could be ready for a breakout season. This is a win-win for Fantasy Soccer players as Anelka will at least be a solid all-round performer, and at best could be an elite performer this season.
It is yet to been seen how severely the departures of key players such as Joe Cole, Ricardo Carvalho, and Michael Ballack will be felt this season; Although the importance of these players may not have been obvious in the stats, they did play a major role in the overall fluidity and effectiveness of the attack. However, players like Michael Essien and Yossi Benayoun will aid in reducing the impact of those departures, and Chelsea players will once again be amongst the top performers this season.
