Will Chelsea finish Top-Four? - A recurring question that has occupied the mind of many Chelsea' fans, globally.
The 2023 season of one of the most-watched national leagues worldwide, the English Premier League, kicked off last August and goes until next May. It means that there’s a lot to be decided yet, and more importantly, many points to fight for.
Still, Graham Potter, the Blues manager, has no pressure on his shoulders. Even if he misses the target of a Top-Four finish this season, the high ranks of the club ensure he’ll keep his job anyway. Will it affect the team’s output this season? Keep reading and find out.
Reasons to Believe
Graham Potter has a very successful career in the Swedish national league. He led the Ostersunds to a top-half finish for the first time in the team’s history. Potter’s feats in Swedish football gave him the Manager of the Year Award in 2016. He also won the Swedish Cup in 2017. In the same year, he was recognised as the best coach in the country, regardless of the sport, and won the 2017 Swedish Sports Awards.
Those following Brighton in the past three years also saw the team breaking a few records and flipping a few odds. Quite recently, they beat Manchester United by 4-0 last May. Visit
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10Bet Zambia online casino games and sports betting, and find the best odds for the next matches. There has been a lot of activity on Premier League betting and Chelsea in particular as they enter a new era. While Potter is still shaping and developing his squad, the team has won its first Champions League. The match against AC Milan finished with a satisfying 3-0 score.
Under New Management
Potter has been in the office since early September when he replaced Thomas Tuchel. The team also has relatively new owners. Roman Abramovich was disqualified from owning Chelsea following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During Abramovich’s time, finishing the EPL among the Top 4 and a strong Champions League campaign were mandatory accomplishments for any manager willing to stay on the job.
Under the co-ownership of Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, the team mentality has changed. Boehly and Eghbali are co-owners of the American baseball team the LA Dodgers, where the same coach is still in office after ten years of ups and downs. They also praised Graham Potter as one of the best managers in the competition and signed a five-year contract with him, regardless of the outcome this season.
Challenges Ahead
Although Potter’s job isn’t hanging on whether he’ll qualify for the next Champions League, it doesn’t mean he won’t be pushed for results. Since there are still so many points to be disputed, everyone still believes that the Blues can hit the target and even improve its performance in the current season of this competition.
After all, Chelsea is one of the most important sides of European football and has a reputation to live by. Not only so, but the team has also shelled GBP 250 million in the last transfer window, and these players must be put to good use. The former Brighton coach will have time to build a team with his face. Yet, the Blues’ owners and fans expect nothing short of excellence as a final result.
Currently, the Blues sit at the fifth position on the table, only one behind Potter’s former team, Brighton. However, Tottenham has a four-point lead over Chelsea, meaning it would take at least two games to take the Spur’s place. The top positions, Arsenal (eight points ahead) and Manchester City (seven points ahead) look far away now. Still, there are over 20 matches to change this situation.
The Other Competitors
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea has a 55% chance of finishing the season among the Top 4, while Tottenham has a slightly better chance: 62%. Arsenal, the current leader, holds 80% of chances, while no one seems to question whether Man City will make it or not: 100%. Also, Manchester United is only one point behind the Blues, and any slip can push the team further away from the target.
The Gunners have a smashing start to the season, bagging seven victories out of eight matches. The team’s lineup includes names like Gabriel Jesus, Thomas Partey, and Granik Xhaka. Even Tottenham felt their power and lost 3-1 in the last match in North London. The Spurs, led by Antonio Conte, aim to recover from the last defeat. Still, it has names like Leandro Trossard on the lineup, who recently pulled a hat trick against Liverpool.
Aiming High
Considerable challenges are keeping Chelsea away from the top at the moment. While finishing this season on top is unlikely, the Blues can still realistically hope for a 4th position. The Top 3 teams have pretty consolidated squads already, while the Blues are undergoing a massive re-organisation. Graham Potter is one of the most talented managers and will undoubtedly have plenty of human resources to build a killing side.
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