Chelsea To Face Liverpool This Saturday. But is the Blues’ Squad Strong?

Despite another summer of heavy investment, major weaknesses continue to linger in Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side. Those shortcomings have already been highlighted in the opening weeks of the 2025/26 campaign, leaving the Blues struggling to find form ahead of a huge clash with Premier League champions Liverpool.

Expectations had been sky-high before the season began. Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph, combined with a busy transfer window, led many to believe Maresca’s men could launch a genuine title challenge. Yet the optimism has quickly given way to frustration, with the team producing a string of underwhelming results.

A sluggish draw with Crystal Palace on the opening weekend set the tone. Since then, three defeats in five matches and an unconvincing Carabao Cup escape against League One side Lincoln City have piled the pressure on both players and the coach. With Liverpool visiting Stamford Bridge for Saturday Night Football, the spotlight is firmly on the Blues’ glaring problems.

Has Chelsea Gone Backwards?

While Liverpool grabbed the headlines with blockbuster signings such as Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak for a combined £320 million, Chelsea were also one of the busiest clubs in the transfer market. Their incoming list included Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Facundo Buonanotte, Alejandro Garnacho, Mike Penders, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Willian Estevao.

Recruitment, however, is directed largely by sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, leaving Maresca to work with the players handed to him. Of the new recruits, Pedro has seen the most action, clocking 794 minutes across 11 matches. Delap, sidelined with injury since late August, is second in appearances.

Some cases offer context. Garnacho joined late in the window and lacked match fitness, Estevao is only 18 and still adapting to life in England, while Hato was mainly brought in to provide depth at left-back.

Yet, the struggles of Chelsea’s new faces are being contrasted with the success of those who left. Noni Madueke, a key starter under Maresca last season, impressed at Arsenal before injury struck. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, loaned to Strasbourg previously, is now excelling at Bournemouth and sits among the league leaders in clean sheets.

Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson is celebrating Champions League goals at Bayern Munich, while back in London, Chelsea were left relying on teenager Tyrique George to lead the line against Benfica.

The question is has the £296.5 million spent this summer actually strengthened Chelsea, or left them weaker?

The Goalkeeper Dilemma

Despite signing 10 new players, Chelsea’s failure to secure a proven first-choice goalkeeper has raised eyebrows. Penders, the 20-year-old Belgian, was quickly loaned to Strasbourg after arriving, leaving Kepa Arrizabalaga and Robert Sánchez as the senior options.

In June, Chelsea walked away from a deal for AC Milan’s Mike Maignan, unwilling to meet the £25 million asking price despite the French international expressing a desire to move. Ironically, that fee would have been among the lowest Chelsea paid in the window.

The gamble has backfired. Sánchez’s dismissal against Manchester United not only hurt Chelsea on the day but also underscored his unreliability. He currently ranks 20th in post-shot expected goals, a key measure of shot-stopping ability. Maignan, by contrast, sits sixth in Serie A with an 83.3 percent save rate, which is the third-highest in the league.

Chelsea’s reluctance to invest in the goalkeeper position may prove a costly oversight.

Discipline Issues Mounting

Another area of concern is discipline. Chelsea is the only Premier League side to have received more than one red card this season, already racking up three. Sánchez was sent off against United, Trevoh Chalobah was dismissed during the defeat to Brighton, and Pedro managed to earn two yellows against Benfica despite playing less than 30 minutes.

Frustration seems to be boiling over within the squad. While other teams, such as Everton, Bournemouth, and Brighton, have collected more yellow cards, none have forced referees to issue multiple reds.

This lack of control has already cost Chelsea valuable points. Poor decisions in high-pressure moments are proving just as damaging as tactical or technical shortcomings. Unless addressed quickly, indiscipline could derail their campaign.

Defensive Reinforcements Overlooked

Goalkeeper wasn’t the only position neglected during the summer. Chelsea also failed to adequately strengthen their center-back options, despite losing Levi Colwill to a long-term ACL injury.

Maresca openly admitted his desire for an additional central defender and hinted that “internal solutions” might not be enough. Although versatile youngster Jorrel Hato was signed, he was seen more as competition for Marc Cucurella on the left than as a natural Colwill replacement.

As a result, Chelsea are now relying on Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoît Badiashile, academy graduate Josh Acheampong, and the untested Hato. Six games into the campaign, Chelsea’s defensive record is already alarming. Only Brighton, who recently beat them 3-1, have conceded more goals among the league’s top-half clubs.

Jamie Carragher had warned nearly a year ago that Chelsea needed a commanding central defender to organize their backline. That advice appears to have been ignored.

The Bigger Picture

Chelsea’s problems boil down to poor squad planning. They entered the season expected to compete with the league’s elite, but holes remain in key areas of the team. Injuries have only magnified the shortcomings, while new signings have yet to justify their price tags.

Maresca now finds himself in a delicate position. He has players he doesn’t fully trust, a defense leaking goals, a goalkeeper underperforming, and a squad struggling to maintain composure under pressure.

The timing could not be worse. Chelsea’s next opponent, Liverpool, is also navigating issues of their own under Arne Slot, including Alisson’s injury, yet it remains top of the table. A Chelsea victory could reignite optimism by lifting them into the Champions League spots while knocking Liverpool off their perch.

But another defeat, potentially their fourth in six league outings, would push Chelsea further down the table. Sitting just four points above relegation-threatened West Ham, the Blues could find themselves languishing in the bottom half, triggering serious questions about Maresca’s leadership and the club’s recruitment strategy.