Pundit Michael Owen snubbed Chelsea as he predicted Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season.
Owen shared his prediction with the audience before the Premier League opening matchday showdown between Manchester City and Burnley on August 11.
Chelsea are have been active in the transfer market to improve their ranks in the summer transfer market. They have already brought in the likes of Christopher Nkunk and Nicolas Jackson. Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia have been linked with moves to the Stamford Bridge outfit as well (via Sky Sports).
However, Owen doesn’t think Chelsea will be able to fetch a top-four finish this term.
After a tumultuous campaign last term, with the team finishing 12th in the league, the club have brought in manager Mauricio Pochettino to take charge this season. The Argentine, however, will have a difficult task on hand for the upcoming campaign.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino addressed the media ahead of the clash against Liverpool
Mauricio Pochettino addressed the media ahead of the Premier League clash against Liverpool on August 13.
He acknowledged that the Blues are undergoing a transition phase at the moment. But he added that it’s not an excuse for the club.
The Argentine claimed that a club of Chelsea’s size have a certain stature and he vowed to put the club back to where it belongs. Pochettino said (via Sportstar):
“We are more in transition than Liverpool because I am new here. (Juergen) Klopp has been at Liverpool for seven years. Of course, we are Chelsea. The history of the club is to win. Even if we are in transition, we need to win and be ready to win against Liverpool.”
He added:
“The mentality for the players is to compete and try to win. I’m not going to accept a different way to think. We want to put the club where the club deserves to be.”
While last season’s results were far off what anyone expected, the Blues have very talented young players in their ranks. This includes the likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez, and Noni Madueke.
New arrivals like Nicolas Jackson and Robert Sanchez can help improve the west London side in their transition phase as well. The club are also trying to add more reinforcements like Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.