Former England player Chris Waddle made a very bold prediction about Chelsea going into this season.
Chelsea had an extremely disappointing Premier League campaign, finishing in 10th place. It means there will be no European football at Stamford Bridge next year.
The Blues would have shocked Waddle, who was expecting much better from them.
How would you rate Chelsea’s season 1️⃣-🔟?
A 10th place finish and no silverware for the Blues!
Sunderland v Chelsea - Premier League
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Chris Waddle predicted Chelsea to finish first
Following the conclusion of the 2025/26 Premier League season on Sunday, BBC Sport have shared predictions made by their pundits last summer.
Waddle boldly predicted Chelsea to finish first and win the Premier League title. Fast forward to now, and it is a prediction that the 65-year-old is probably embarrassed about!
Goal difference was the only thing that prevented Chelsea from finishing in the bottom half of the table.
They have gone from world champions to quite literally a mid-table team. A lot of Chelsea fans will be worried about the future, but Wayne Rooney is not.
Rooney actually thinks Chelsea can be a threat next season because of their absence from Europe. Xabi Alonso will only have to manage his team once a week.
Who has been Chelsea’s biggest underperformer this season? ⬇️
Players of Chelsea form a huddle
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How many points did Chelsea finish behind Premier League champions Arsenal?
In the end, Chelsea could only accumulate 52 points after 38 games. That is 17 points fewer than what they collected last season, showing the extent of their decline.
They finished 33 points behind eventual Premier League champions Arsenal, so it is quite clear that this Chelsea side are not ready to compete.
All in all, it has been a season to forget and Alonso now has a lot of work to do at Cobham.
Next term, the best Chelsea can probably hope for is a top-five finish. If Premier League clubs do well in Europe again, that could be enough for Champions League football.
Unfortunately, Chelsea themselves will not be able to contribute to England’s coefficient after failing to qualify for any of UEFA’s tournaments.
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