Can Chelsea Compete for Top-Four This Season?

Most people think Chelsea’s finishing sixth in the 23/24 season was shocking—we’d say it was anything but. Chelsea had a rollercoaster season with a terrible budget, overspending on questionable players, and a few horrible games. To be a Chelsea fan last season was like being a Manchester United fan: awful.

Still, they recovered from outside of the top 10 to manage a humble sixth place. Needless to say, Chelsea said adios to Mauricio Pochettino and have brought in Enzo Maresca, the assistant manager from the 22/23 season at Manchester City. And we all know how well Manchester City can perform – surely, having been working with Pep Guardiola, this man knows how to manage a team and take it to the top of the league.

Not everyone is convinced, so read on to learn whether Chelsea can compete for a top-four position and make it back into European tournaments. We’re sure they have the Champions League in their sights.

Chelsea’s Rollercoaster Season

Chelsea’s recent form has been a wild ride, to say the least. Last season, they finished a disappointing 6th, far from their usual top-four contention. Not everyone was putting their money on Chelsea for football (soccer) betting on 10bet.com – not even the fans. Yes, they started with high hopes for the new management, but that quickly faded.

And come on, Chelsea, what were you doing with your budget and spending? You can argue that the lack of Christopher Nkunku and Carney Chukwuemekamessed with Pochettino’s tactical plans and limited attacking options. Still, he also brought in Cole Palmer and spent £115 million on Moises Caicedo.

More Spending

Chelsea’s spending frenzy continued with the acquisition of France internationals Nkunku and Disasi from RB Leipzig and AS Monaco, respectively.

Chelsea later signed Spanish goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea’s acquisitions of young new talents were equally extensive and costly. These included Palmer (that one paid off), Lavia, and Brazilian prospects Angelo, Deivid Washington, and Diego Moreira.

It wasn’t necessarily the ins that were the main issue; it was the outs. The Saudi Pro League also snatched Mendy and Koulibaly, who moved with Kante to reunite with the coach. Ziyech left for Galatasaray, Lamptey went to Napoli on loan (potentially permanent), and Kepa moved to Real Madrid. Kovacic was transferred to Manchester City, while Havertz was traded to Arsenal. Mason Mount went to Manchester United in the most controversial transfer this summer. The list of transfers could keep going.

Still, the team had high morale, and the system in place seemed to get the best out of many players, but the pressure to reach the expectations was high. Although nobody expected Pochettino to turn Chelsea into a title contender overnight, everyone anticipated that with Pochettino, the team would play as a team.

An Injury Crisis that Never Ended

Many Chelsea fans will point to the club’s abysmal injury record as a Pochettino creation. While it’s true that the former Tottenham boss has a poor record from his previous managerial stints, this is just one of the many factors.

Everyone knows that Pochettino’s training methods go at a high intensity, and so do his teams on the pitch, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t physically detrimental to the players. The truth is bitter, and the Blues have been suffering from injuries ever since 2021.

Reece James, now the team’s captain, has been struggling with injuries and recently spent some time on the surgery table. Ben Chilwell, the vice-captain, has been injured throughout the season and hasn’t been able to cement his place in the team. The most significant hole has been left by Christopher Nkunku, a player around whom Pochettino designed his preseason system. He got injured in the last friendly before the season started and spent several months recovering.

Will Chelsea Finish in the Top Four in 2024/25?

So, you must consider everything from last season to decide about the upcoming season. In truth, the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Chelsea certainly has enough quality and means to compete, but the instability in the managerial position and their constant injury issues make this mission impossible.

Michael Owen confessed he is scared Chelsea might be back to square one when it comes to their new manager, Enzo Maresca, who, according to Owen, needs more time to introduce his methods.

The English league has more teams than ever that can legitimately fight for the fourth spot. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and even Aston Villa are now up there.

So even if Arsenal or United misses, there is still room for another club. Teams like Villa and even Spurs have shown they can punch up in top-flight football, and with a Chelsea who can’t put the results in the back of the net, it would be foolish to bet against them. It’ll be interesting to see how they perform next season.