Chelsea were pegged back by Leeds United with a draw not enough for the Blues to leapfrog Manchester United into the Premier League top four
22:30, 10 Feb 2026
Cole Palmer of Chelsea reacts after missing a chance at an open goal
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Chelsea dropped points against Leeds United in the latest twist to the top four battle(Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)
Chelsea's push towards the Premier League top-four received a small dent as Liam Rosenior's side were held to a 2-2 draw with Leeds United at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer had put the Blues into a comfortable two-goal lead which had also put them on track to leap up the table and into the Champions League qualification places.
Victory would have helped to put pressure on Manchester City and Aston Villa above them, though Chelsea were unable to see their lead through to the end.
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A Lukas Nmecha penalty was followed by a Noah Okafor equaliser, which was controversial as Rosenior's men protested believing there had been handball in the build-up, but was allowed to stand and the meeting finished all square.
As Manchester United were surprisingly forced to rescue a draw in stoppage time vs West Ham across the capital, Chelsea were pushed back outside of top four and back into fifth place.
football.london analyses the upcoming fixture list with Chelsea fully embroiled in the race for a top-four finish against several rivals.
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Aston Villa (3rd, 47 points)
Brighton (H) - Premier League - Wednesday, February 11
Newcastle United (H) - FA Cup - Saturday, February 14
Leeds United (H) - Premier League - Saturday, February 21
Wolves (A) - Premier League - Friday, February 27
Chelsea (H) - Premier League - Wednesday, March 4
Verdict: A run of three home fixtures, albeit one in the FA Cup, gives Villa the chance to pick up some comfortable league points in the coming weeks. After that they face a Midlands derby away at strugglers Wolves, before the Blues visit Villa Park in a huge meeting in the top-four battle.
Manchester United (4th, 45 points)
Everton (A) - Premier League - Monday, February 23
Crystal Palace (H) - Premier League - Sunday, March 1
Newcastle United (A) - Premier League - Wednesday, March 4
Aston Villa (H) - Premier League - Sunday, March 15
Bournemouth (A) - Premier League - Friday, March 20
Verdict: United may only have the Premier League to focus on having been eliminated from both cup competitions, and they may have been on a positive run under Michael Carrick, but they have some tough tests coming up both at home and on the road. The standout is that one against Villa midway through next month.
Chelsea (5th, 44 points)
Hull City (A) - FA Cup - Friday, February 13
Burnley (H) - Premier League - Saturday, February 21
Arsenal (A) - Premier League - Sunday, March 1
Aston Villa (A) - Premier League - Wednesday, March 4
Newcastle United (H) - Premier League - Saturday, March 14
Verdict: A tough run for Chelsea with Arsenal and Villa on the horizon, with both matches away from home. Rosenior knows he will need maximum points from those fixtures to flip the script in the top-four race.
Liverpool (6th, 39 points)
Sunderland (A) - Premier League - Wednesday, February 11
Brighton (H) - FA Cup - Saturday, February 14
Nottingham Forest (A) - Premier League - Sunday, February 22
West Ham United (H) - Premier League - Saturday, February 28
Wolves (A) - Premier League - Tuesday, March 3
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Verdict: The reigning Premier League champions are in danger of dropping out of top-four contention altogether, though a kinder run of fixtures on paper may give them the chance to claw back some points in the coming weeks.