The final day of the 2021/22 season was a very different scenario for Chelsea. A spot in the Premier League's top four had been reserved as the Blues faced an already relegated Watford.
Thomas Tuchel led in his side in the sun with a team that included Saul Niguez and Kenedy, while Antonio Rudiger played his last game for the Blues. Ben Chilwell made his return from the bench after months of work to overcome his ACL injury while Ross Barkley scored an injury time winner to ensure Chelsea finished the season with three points.
The west London side finished the term with Club World Cup success and missed out to Liverpool in two cup finals but more than anything a sense of relief was palpable around Stamford Bridge. It was a year that had threatened the survival of the club in some regards and while many will have been disappointed to wave goodbye to a successful era of football under Roman Abramovich, there was anticipation over what would come next.
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Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano were all present to witness the win over Watford. They perused the pitch, Chelsea drawstring bags in hand and some family members with them as Cesar Azpilicueta introduced them to the rest of the squad ahead of completing the takeover saga that had waged on for months.
It was clear at that stage a big job awaited. Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen were set to depart, N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Thiago Silva were entering the final year of their deals and the new ownership were starting from behind.
The club is now 12 months on and much has changed. From being named player of the year on the final day Mason Mount's trajectory may now lie away from the club. The Blues have finished 12th after a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United and while there is struggle for much optimism, the official announcement of Mauricio Pochettino waits in the wings.
The Blues have had four different men take charge of their first team with none being able to get out a consistent tune after a frustrating pre-season in the USA, have spent £600million on players in the hopes of speeding up a transition and have been left with more work to do than ever ahead of a another summer transfer window.
Faced with an opposition in Newcastle, celebrating a project running more smoothly and Champions League football, it's perhaps little wonder the Todd Boehly was not in attendance on this occasion. He may have heard the singing for Newcastle fans however, and the roar when Elliot Anderson crossed for Anthony Gordon to open the scoring.
It was too easy for the visitors and the combination of academy product and new signing that will be the ultimate ambition of Chelsea's hierarchy.
Raheem Sterling did his best to provide some positivity to drive into the box before cutting onto his left to send a shot goalwards. A deflection or two off of Kieran Trippier brought the sides level. However, it was another evening where Chelsea required help to record a goal as they struggled to trouble the scoresheet for the rest of the match.
There has been some indication of who could lead Chelsea into the future. Sterling has shown flashes of his best in recent weeks while there will be hope around the performances of Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke. Lewis Hall will require a decision made over his development having looked every bit of a Premier League player.
Goodbyes are already well underway however. Denis Zakaria and Joao Felix's loans will end, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek appeared to wave farewell to supporters when he was substituted in the second period. Frank Lampard's role as caretaker manager will also come to end. Safe to stay it does not feel a very stable time at Chelsea.
That is, at least for the men's team. It can't be ignored that Chelsea have found some success elsewhere in the club.
Emma Hayes' side reclaimed their WSL and FA Cup titles after completing much of their business as the transfer window opened last year, while Mark Robinson was introduced as boss of the development team and helped turn the side from a team that was threatened by relegation into one challenging for a title. The presence of Neil Bath and Jame Fraser perhaps aiding transition there.
That may make it slightly more damning that the area Boehly and Eghbali have had greatest influence has strugggled the most. Boehly took the help as sporting director before the implementation of a new sporting structure as Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech departed.
The ownership duo have showed willing to get deals done, as with Enzo Fernandez but work on the contract-front has been more problematic. Mount may have said his final goodbyes at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening, while N'Golo Kante, whose contract seemed close to being extended back in February, is still set to see his contract expire at the end of the month.
Stability seemed to be Chelsea's ambition even after sacking Thomas Tuchel, with Graham Potter told Champions League qualification wasn't a requirement to keep his job. Things did not work out that way however.
Stability must now be the ambition under Pochettino. The former Spurs boss must be given time to work and form a core group for the Blues to progress with.
That will not be easy with the number of players on Chelsea's teamsheet you feel are guranteed to stay at the club smaller than those who could leave. Newcastle supporters sang 'You laughed at us when we went down, but who the f*** is laughing now?'.
Plenty have laughed at Chelsea in the last 12 months or so. They must channel that moving forwards.
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