Chelsea kicks off their Europa Conference League campaign on Thursday, welcoming Belgian side Gent to Stamford Bridge.
After a thrilling 4-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, thanks to a standout performance from Cole Palmer, the Blues are riding high with four straight wins.
Chelsea has surprised critics who doubted them at the start of the season amid ongoing off-field drama. Under new manager Enzo Maresca, who took over from Mauricio Pochettino, the team has started strongly.
Though they’re not flawless, Chelsea sits just two points off the top of the Premier League. Palmer has been a key player, scoring four goals against Brighton. There were some concerns, however, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez making two errors that led to goals, marking the first time Chelsea conceded since September 1.
Despite these hiccups, Chelsea boasts the best attack in the Premier League with 15 goals and added another five against Barrow in the EFL Cup. Their home form has been impressive, with only one defeat in their last 14 matches across all competitions.
This match marks Chelsea's debut in the relatively new Europa Conference League, making them one of the highest-profile clubs to compete in it since its launch. Just three years ago, they were European champions.
Chelsea also has a chance to make history this season. As favorites, they could become the first team to win the 'European quadruple,' claiming titles in the Champions League, Europa League, Cup Winners' Cup, and Conference League.
Historically, Chelsea has a strong chance, having won their last two non-Champions League UEFA competitions—the Europa League in 2013 and 2019.
Standing in their way are Gent, who are unlikely to lack confidence, considering Chelsea hasn’t lost to a club from the Belgian Pro League in 29 years. Chelsea has also won five of their eight previous encounters against Belgian teams.
Gent brings plenty of European experience, competing in their 10th consecutive season on the continent. Under manager Wouter Vrancken, they’ve had a solid start to the season.
Gent had to fight through six matches in the qualifying rounds to get here, defeating Vikingur, Silkeborg, and Partizan Belgrade. They’ve continued their strong form, securing 10 wins in their first 15 matches of the season, with only league leaders Genk ahead of them.
Having participated in the Conference League since its debut in 2021, Gent is familiar with the competition, having reached the knockout stages in all three of their previous attempts. Their impressive run in 2022-23 saw them reach the quarter-finals, but they were eliminated by eventual champions West Ham United in London.
Interestingly, Gent has experienced success in England before, famously knocking Tottenham Hotspur out of the Europa League at a packed Wembley in 2017.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
After making 11 changes for their cup win over Barrow, Maresca might do something similar for this match, especially considering the depth of his squad.
Cole Palmer isn’t part of Chelsea's Conference League squad, so he’ll get the midweek off. It’s also unlikely that any of his attacking teammates from the weekend will play.
This opens the door for Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, and Mykhaylo Mudryk to start again, as they all put in strong performances against Barrow.
Currently, Reece James is the only Chelsea player out with an injury, while Romeo Lavia has returned after missing six games.
Gent, on the other hand, has seen some significant changes over the summer, losing key players like Julien De Sart, Tarik Tissoudali, and Hong Hyun-seok. As a result, the team looks quite different from the one that last visited London.
They will also be without experienced midfielder Sven Kums, while Andrew Hjulsager is doubtful. New signing Aime Omgba hasn’t made his debut yet due to injury after joining from NAC Breda.
Andri Gudjohnsen, the son of former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, could make an appearance at his father’s old ground after scoring off the bench in their recent win over OH Leuven.
English striker Max Dean is expected to start up front on his return to England, having scored in his last two games for the Buffalos.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Acheampong, Disasi, Badiashile, Renato Veiga; Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall; Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku
Gent possible starting lineup:
Roef; Mitrovic, Watanabe, Torunarigha; Fadiga, Ito, Delorge-Kneiper, Brown; Gandelman, Dean, Surdez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 4-1 Gent[/SPOILER]
