Another weekend of frustration was forced upon Chelsea supporters after they watched their side stutter at home to Newcastle United – and Opta has now provided its latest top-five prediction.
Chelsea fans had at least hoped for a home win over Newcastle and a response to the 5-2 battering they received in Paris during the week. Certainly, Chelsea are all but out of this season’s Champions League.
But qualification for next season remains in the balance. Following the win over Aston Villa, Chelsea looked in a better position to go and get fifth, with five qualification places likely to be up for grabs.
What do you make of Chelsea players’ decision to do their team huddle on the halfway line?
Chelsea players enter a huddle surrounding Referee Paul Tierney
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
However, Anthony Gordon scored the only goal of the game and Liam Rosenior blamed mental tiredness for a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle overshadowed by a pre-match huddle. Trevoh Chalobah predicts fatigue.
Where does Opta predict Chelsea will finish after Newcastle loss?
A fifth defeat in 17 games as Chelsea manager for Rosenior might have felt like the end of the world. But actually, it could have been a whole lot worse. Man United secured a win, and are now favourites for third.
But that their win means Aston Villa’s slump continues, remaining on 51 points. Liverpool were expected to record an easy win over calamitous Spurs, but Richarlison’s late goal meant the two sides drew 1-1.
Chelsea have dropped into sixth, but Villa and Liverpool remain in touching distance with 24 points still to play for. Opta predict, however, that Chelsea will finish in sixth and end up with a total of 60.45 points.
However, that is a whole two points less than what was forecasted by Opta following the win over Aston Villa. Liverpool remain in fifth, now on an expected points tally of 61.69 and Villa are on 64.05.
Is Liam Rosenior’s job in doubt after another defeat?
When Rosenior took the job, it was always going to be a lose-lose situation. Joining mid-season, the new gaffer is unable to get his ideas across immediately and he will have to wait until the summer to do that.
His approach has been to tweak things here and there. It has seen Chelsea produce an excellent result one week, followed by a poor one the next. It is now one Premier League win in the last five for Chelsea.
Opta say Chelsea’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League are little over 20%. When the former Hull and Strasbourg manager was given the job, qualifying for the Champions League was the target.
Well, it looks as if Chelsea could fall short. Craig Burley claims he predicted Rosenior to overthink things and with PSG up next, it could easily be three defeats in a row. The message is clear, Chelsea need wins.
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