Only Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, who make up two of the bottom three in the Premier League, have won fewer points than Chelsea in the last five games.
Chelsea are in grave danger of failing to qualify for either of UEFA’s three club competitions. The Blues conceded significant ground in the race for Champions League qualification over the weekend, falling seven points behind the pack following a disappointing defeat to Manchester United.
Matheus Cunha fired the Red Devils to victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night, denting Chelsea’s hopes of getting into Europe’s top-flight competition. Then, on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool all but extinguished the west Londoners’ chances when they beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Meanwhile, Brentford and Bournemouth drew level with Chelsea on points, with only goal difference keeping Liam Rosenior’s side in sixth place. Brighton also salvaged a draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, slashing the Blues’ cushion to just a point.
Fortunately for Chelsea, though, Everton and Sunderland suffered defeats too; had they won at the weekend, they would’ve climbed into the Europa League and Conference League places, respectively, leaving the Blues – for now, on paper – empty-handed.
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With five games left in the season, Chelsea are nearly as many points from Liverpool in fifth (seven) as from Leeds United in 15th (nine). Only Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, who make up two of the bottom three in the Premier League, have won fewer points than Rosenior’s side in the last five games.
Chelsea could very well fail to qualify for either of UEFA’s three club competitions, even if results across Europe fall in their favour. As it stands, whoever finishes sixth in the Premier League will get a Europa League spot, and whoever finishes seventh will get a Conference League spot.
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The winner of the FA Cup will also qualify for the Europa League. This could be a possible route into Europe if the Blues beat Leeds United in the semi-final and the winner of Manchester City vs Southampton in the final.
If the domestic cup is won by a team already in the Champions League or Europa League by league position, all the qualification spots shift down a place. So, sixth and seventh place could earn qualification for the Europa League, while eighth place earns a spot in the Conference League.
If Chelsea slip even further down the Premier League table, they’ll have to start backing Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, respectively. If an English club wins either of UEFA’s three club competitions, ninth place in the English top-flight could earn a spot in the Conference League.
While the Blues are still sixth in the Premier League, if they only manage to win as many points as they did in their last five games (three) in the next five, they would most probbaly finish in the bottom half of the table.
Despite having losing and failing to score in each of their last four league games, having not done so since November 1912, Rosenior remains confident that Chelsea can climb the table. Speaking to reporters at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night, the Blues boss held his ground.
“It gives us a mountain to climb,” said Rosenior. “It’s not insurmountable, but it gives us a mountain to climb, and we have to go into Brighton with an idea that we have to win that game and kick-start the rest of our season.”
