“Just let that sink in” - Pundit claims Chelsea could get relegated as damning points-per-game stat emerges
TalkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy recently highlighted a worrying points-per-game statistic for Chelsea, which indicates that a relegation battle is on the horizon.
Mauricio Pochettino's Blues have made a disastrous start to the season with just one win and three defeats in six league games. They sit 14th in the Premier League table and have difficult games ahead against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea are without a goal and a win in three games and it's a concern for fans following a summer in which the club spent £430.6 million. Many expected an improvement on their 12th-placed finish last season but they are struggling.
Cundy has revealed statistics that suggest his former club could be fighting relegation this season. It makes grim reading for Blues fans, telling the UK sports radio station:
"Chelsea's points per game over the last 35 matches, which is three short of a full season, is 0.8. That would get you relegated in every single Premier League season and have you finish bottom or joint-bottom in the seasons 1997, 1998, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2018."
The former Blues defender continued by revealing that across two seasons the club have only won two games since Graham Potter left. The English coach was sacked back in early April.
"That's what our points tally has been... we know that's not how football works, across two seasons, we've won two league games since Graham Potter left," he added.
Jason Cundy continued by touching on the opposition Chelsea defeated in recent times. The west Londoners beat EFL League 2 AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in the Carabao Cup and Premier League newcomers Luton Town 3-0 this season and Bournemouth 2-1 last season.
"Just let that sink in, since Potter left, we've won two league games. Seven wins in all competitions this calendar year and that includes one against home at Luton, this is this season, one at home against Wimbledon and one win away at Bournemouth," Cundy continued.
Cundy concluded by insisting that there is a chance that Pochettino's men could end up being relegated.
"So I mentioned the 'R' word right, I'm not arrogant enough to think that Chelsea are too good to go down but if that carries on, Chelsea will end up in a relegation [battle]," he added further.
The Blues haven't suffered relegation since the start of the Premier League in 1992. However, they were relegated from the English top flight in the 1987-88 campaign. It's inconceivable that a club that have spent around £1 billion since the change in ownership in May 2022 are potential relegation candidate.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino insists his job hasn't been more difficult than anticipated
Pochettino was appointed as Chelsea's new permanent manager in May this year. The Argentine coach spent 10 months out of job after he was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in July 2022.
That sacking came despite Pochettino winning the Ligue 1 title and Blues fans were buoyed by his arrival. There was a feeling that the experienced coach was the right man to take the club out of their precarious situation.
However, Pochettino has endured a difficult start to life in the Stamford Bridge dugout. His side have won just twice across competitions under his tutelage and defeats aren't coming as a surprise.
Despite this, the former Tottenham boss insists the job isn't more difficult than he expected. He said (via football.london):
"It's not worse than I thought. I think we always knew new project is always difficult. This period is a worse scenario than we can think to anticipate the situation. It looks like all is against us because the performance of the team deserves more points. All teams go through different periods, and I think we have the capacity to turn this."
Pochettino signed a two-year deal with Chelsea when he succeded Potter earlier this year. However, pressure is growing on the Argentine with his side languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League.