John Terry is confident that Chelsea can top the Premier League table after the first five fixtures. The former Blues captain anticipates a strong start for Xabi Alonso's side, although he still views Arsenal as the main title contenders.
Chelsea begins the new season following a disappointing campaign last year, where they finished tenth. Now under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, fresh talent has been added to the squad, including Morgan Rogers and Maxime Lacroix.
Terry stresses the importance of Xabi kicking off the season with wins and recalls how a strong start benefited Chelsea during Jose Mourinho's second reign:
For Xabi, starting with a victory is crucial. Win the first match, and you can use that result to build momentum.
I remember when Jose Mourinho returned many years ago, we played away at Burnley, went down 1-0, but then turned it around to win. From that moment, you could feel something special was beginning to happen.
Players need to be confident, but you can also sense that momentum — you know when everything is falling into place.
The former defender also spoke about the atmosphere within the club and the return of players from the World Cup:
If everything is alright off the pitch and within the club — and it is, as I visit regularly and can see it — one can only feel inspired. Additionally, we are welcoming back key players after the World Cup, some of whom haven't even rejoined the first team yet.
Looking at those first five matches, I expect three or four wins and possibly a couple of draws. My prediction is a fantastic start, with Chelsea sitting at the top after five rounds.
