“They have a chance” - Ex-Chelsea man Craig Burley details what the Blues must do to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League
Chelsea have a chance to finish in the top 4 of the Premier League, according to Craig Burley. The former Blues midfielder believes Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur could slip up and help Enzo Maresca's side in the race for Champions League qualification.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Burley stated that Tottenham are unpredictable and have issues in defence. He added that Aston Villa could miss out as they will be concentrating on their UEFA Champions League campaign. Addressing Chelsea, the pundit claimed that the Blues need to sort out their defense to seal the fourth spot in the table. He said:
“Is Villa’s European exploits enough to take the edge off their Premier League season? And Tottenham are so unpredictable at the moment. So they have got a chance, they have a chance, but, they have to sort the defensive side of it out if they are going to do that."
"And I think at the moment you have to say Villa, you know, for example, if we think Liverpool, Arsenal Manchester City in any given order, that’s three teams, there’s one more space, then that fourth spot, and Villa at the moment are just a better all-round squad.”
Enzo Maresca's side are currently fourth in the league with with 14 points from their opening seven matches. They are three behind Manchester City and Arsenal while Liverpool lead the table with 18 points.
Alan Shearer backs Chelsea to finish 4th in the table
Alan Shearer has stated that Chelsea's decent start to the Premier League season has not changed his prediction for where they finish the season. He still believes that the Blues will finish fourth and not higher but could also end up eighth in the league table.
The former England forward was talking on The Rest Is Football podcast when he claimed that Enzo Maresca was doing a good job at the club, saying:
"I think he's doing a good job Maresca because he's fighting a lot of fires there at Chelsea in terms of the size of the squad. There's no doubt that they would have taken fourth after seven games. I don't expect them to challenge for the title. I haven't changed my mind on them. They could finish anywhere between fourth and eighth."
Enzo Maresca's side are unbeaten since losing to Manchester City on the opening day of the season. They travel to face Liverpool on October 20 when the players return from international duty next week.