Chelsea have welcomed unnecessary pressure in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification
Chelsea have a difficult end-of-season run-in(Image: Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Chelsea are in danger of failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. The Blues have surrendered leads in back-to-back Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, dropping four crucial points in the race for a place in the top four.
In fact, this season the west Londoners have dropped 19 points from winning positions, and only West Ham have lost more (20). Despite numerous opportunities to break away from Manchester United and Liverpool, who are fifth and sixth, respectively, Chelsea have often settled for mediocrity.
Although the Blues currently reside in fourth place, they’re level on points with the Red Devils, who have a game in hand, and the reigning champions are just a stone’s throw away. Chelsea have been so passive in their pursuit of a greater finish that Aston Villa have occupied a place in the top four since November 23, when they beat Leeds United at Elland Road.
Of course, the Premier League could be afforded an extra Champions League spot, so long as they hold onto their lead in UEFA’s coefficient table, which measures how clubs from each country perform across European competitions during a season.
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If England stays in the top two, the team that finishes fifth in the Premier League would qualify for the Champions League next term. Chelsea would get into Europe’s top-flight club competition as it stands, but they’re hardly well-positioned to do so by May.
According to the Opta Power Rankings, as visualised below by The Athletic, only West Ham have a harder end-of-season run-in than Liam Rosenior’s side. The graphic shows Everton have a set of fixtures that are just as difficult, while Aston Villa have the so-called easiest.
Chelsea have a difficult end to the Premier League season
Opta describes the ‘Power Rankings’ as a: “Global team ranking system that assigns an ability score to nearly 13,500 domestic football teams on a scale between zero and 100, where zero is the worst-ranked team in the world, and 100 is the best team in the world.
“The Power Rankings are updated daily and currently rank teams from 183 different countries and 413 unique domestic leagues, providing a truly global rating system in men’s football.
“The latest Power Rankings, as of 24 January 2023, rank Bayern Munich as the best team in the world. Each team is ranked relative to Bayern’s ranking of 100, with Manchester City (98.32) close behind them before a drop to the other teams in the top 10.”
Reece James applauds the fans following Chelsea’s draw to Burnley(Image: Photo by Izzy Poles – AMA/Getty Images)
So, if Chelsea are to qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League, Rosenior must successfully navigate one of the hardest fixture schedules in the division. Speaking to reporters at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon, the Blues boss claimed he knows how to improve the side.
“We need to be the better team in every game,” said Rosenior. “We need to win games of football. I know what the answer is and we will address it in the week. There’s an inquest after every game whether we win or lose.
“I’m learning about the players. I’m learning about the people you can lean on when things aren’t going your way and you need to see a game out. That’s something we need to address very quickly.”
Rosenior added: “I’m accountable. I’m the head coach, I’m the manager of the team. I’m accountable for every result and every performance we have. We need to have players who you can rely on in the moment to do their job.”
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