Chelsea have done what they always do when they feel a bit flat... flash the cash.
Roman Abramovich's wallet is £170million lighter after the Blues added Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Thiago Silva and left back Ben Chilwell to Frank Lampard's squad, while his loose change bought Pernille Harder for Emma Hayes' women.
Sadly her 10-minute cameo at Man Utd wasn't enough to save Chelsea Women from a rather deflating 1-1 draw on the opening weekend, particularly as rival title contenders Arsenal and City won; the Gunners looking particularly sharp.
New players take time to settle, and all eyes will be on Chelsea men on Monday evening when they travel to Brighton for their first match.
On paper, Lampard's new recruits look terrific, but there's no guarantee individual stars will instantly gel; and early season results should come with a health warning.
News on fans being allowed back is imminent. The Blues' pre-season friendly at Brighton saw a limited number of Seagulls supporters admitted, sitting in alternate seats.
The Women's Super League tries its own 'fan pilot' this weekend, when 1,000 home season ticket holders will be let in to watch West Ham Women v Arsenal on Saturday evening.
If all goes well, supporters could be back regularly (in limited numbers) by the end of the month... wearing masks in the stadium, but being allowed to take them off in their seats.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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