What is Chelsea's best possible XI according to AI?

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 28 Sept 2023 12:34 BST
• 3 min read

There has been plenty of head-scratching around Chelsea's recruitment in the Todd Boehly era. FootballTransfers looks at the Blues' best possible XI using official data partner SciSports.

Chelsea have spent more than €1 billion on player transfers since Todd Boehly replaced Roman Abramovich in ownership of the club in May 2022, but results have simply failed to follow.

The Blues finished 12th last season and having only beaten promoted Luton in the Premier League this, languish in 14th with just five points from six games.

READ: Chelsea injury list: The incredible XI worth €400m Pochettino is missing

New manager Mauricio Pochettino has already used 22 different players across league and EFL Cup, even if his changes did work on Wednesday, with the Blues beating Brighton 1-0 in the latter competition.

In Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella and Ian Maatsen, he started with three left-backs. Was it his best possible XI?

Using FootballTransfers' partner SciSports, we sorted all Chelsea's players under contract by SciSkill, before plugging them into a legal formation per their playing positions.

READ: The INCREDIBLE Romelu Lukaku stat that will FRUSTRATE Chelsea fans

One position that sticks out in particular is the central striker, with Romelu Lukaku boasting the highest SciSkill value among strikers on Chelsea's books at 103.8 - which is 26.6 than the incumbent Nicolas Jackson.

That would seem to borne out in real-world performances this season, with Lukaku already hitting three goals in four games on loan at Roma, while Jackson has only scored twice in eight games since his summer arrival from Villarreal.

Lengthy injury list

Elsewhere there is understandable frustration for Chelsea fans owing to the injuries Pochettino and Co. are having to contend with.

Christopher Nkunku has the highest SciSkill in the squad outright with 117.9, but he is yet to play a competitive game following his €60 million arrival from RB Leipzig this summer after undergoing knee surgery.

Club captain Reece James joined the Frenchman on the sidelines with a hamstring injury in soon after. Wesley Fofana, another of Chelsea's best possible XI by this measure, has ruptured his cruciate ligament.

There is cause for optimism elsewhere, though. Pochettino's faith in Conor Gallagher looks well-founded, with the academy graduate's talent seen to be in excess of the €121m Enzo Fernandez's, while Levi Colwill has the ability to inherit Thiago Silva's role at the heart of Chelsea's defence.