With over £400 million being splashed out by the club’s US owner since buying the club in May, there is much expected from this Chelsea side as they look to recapture the kind of success seen under the previous regime.  

The latest of the lavish signings authorised by Todd Boehly, Mykhailo Mudryk, the 22-year-old Ukrainian winger, was paraded on the pitch on Sunday before the game against Crystal Palace ahead of his move from Shakhtar Donetsk.

On an emotional day when the club honoured the late Gianluca Vialli, a second-half header from Kai Havertz proved to be enough for Chelsea.  

The 1-0 win against a stubborn Crystal Palace side provided some much-needed respite for Chelsea manager Graham Potter. Coming after a wretched spell of results, he was a little more relaxed post-game that he has been of late.  

“I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t relieved,” said Potter. “It is nice to get a win. You have to deal with the bad times, deal with the tough situations, and accept the criticism that comes your way.”  

When asked about the high-profile signings, the Chelsea boss said: “There is a period of transition and you have to stabilise things, and work to support the club as best as you can.  

“If you are in a position where, over too small a period, too many people are making recruitment decisions, it is not the recipe for long-term or short-term success.” 

“The tribute for Gianluca was very fitting for a man of his quality,” said Potter. “I thought the crowd were great in terms of supporting the team, recognising the moment we were in and recognising the young players on the pitch.”  

Chelsea will need to build on this win to reach the top four, their minimum expectation at the start of their, for them, troubled season. Their next match is against Liverpool on Saturday.