- Chelsea sit 10th in the Premier League
- Nine points behind Liverpool in fourth
- Frank Leboeuf says top four is a long shot
WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues sit 10th in the Premier League and are nine points behind fourth-placed Liverpool after just 11 games. They could fall further behind the Champions League-chasing pack as they host league leaders Manchester City on Sunday. The West London outfit had their worst top-flight start by the end of September and former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf thinks Mauricio Pochettino’s side aren’t good enough to gatecrash the top four.
WHAT THEY SAID: He said: “I don’t think Chelsea have a chance of finishing in the top four. Chelsea fans expect a lot, and they have the right to expect a lot from a club spending so much money. But when you see on the pitch what’s going on, they are lacking so many things.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Chelsea have spent more than £1 billion in the past three transfer windows under owner Todd Boehly but they still are a long way from being a cohesive, balanced, and free-flowing outfit. Their spending dwarfs every other team in world football and yet they are a mid-table side at present. The players have not gelled particularly well and they still seem short of a striker up front. And with so many teams outperforming them, even qualifying for Europe could be a big ask.
WHAT NEXT? After the City game, Chelsea travel to Newcastle United on November 25 after the international break.
