With nine Premier League games remaining, Chelsea will be looking to secure their spot in the Champions League for next season with a top-four finish in the league.
A 1-0 loss to Arsenal sent Chelsea into the international break fourth in the Premier League table, with five points separating them from Nottingham Forest in third while five points is also the gap between the Blues and Bournemouth in 10th. The battle for the Champions League places is tougher than ever, and with winning the Conference League only guaranteeing a spot in the Europa League, it seems vital that Enzo Maresca can lead his side to UCL football for next season.
As it stands, the Premier League is on track to receive five automatic spots in the Champions League for next season, so a top-five finish should be enough to earn qualification. But, tough games await the Blues, including clashes with Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.
So, how could Maresca's side perform between now and the season? This is what happened...
### Chelsea's Premier League run-in simulated
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2024 editor to update the game with the latest results, fixtures and standings. We then simulated until the end of the season to see how FM24 judges Chelsea's hopes of earning a place in the Champions League next season.
**Game one: Chelsea 3-2 Tottenham (03/04/25)**
Two goals in the first eight minutes saw Spurs race into a two-goal lead, with Dominic Solanke scoring both times. But, a fantastic second-half performance saw Chelsea come from behind to win 3-2, with Pedro Neto, Reece James, and Marc Cucurella all getting on the scoresheet in one of the Blues' biggest wins of the season.
**Game two: Brentford 1-2 Chelsea (06/04/25)**
Chelsea were forced to come from behind once again against Brentford, with a Cole Palmer brace securing a 2-1 win for Maresca's side following Yoanne Wissa's early strike.
**Game three: Chelsea 2-0 Ipswich Town (13/04/25)**
Much more straightforward than the last two games, goals either side of half-time from Palmer and Christopher Nkunku handed the Blues a comfortable 2-0 win over Ipswich Town.
**Game four: Fulham 2-2 Chelsea (20/04/25)**
Fulham proved a tough test for Chelsea, with the Blues' west London rivals pegging back Maresca's side twice after goals from Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill.
**Game five:****Chelsea 1-0 Everton (26/04/25)**
In dramatic fashion, a 94th-minute strike from Pedro Neto handed Chelsea an important 1-0 win over Everton.
**Game six: Chelsea 1-4 Liverpool (04/05/25)**
Chelsea were handed their biggest loss of the season against Liverpool, with Nicolas Jackson scoring late on in a tough 4-1 defeat against the Premier League champions.
**Game seven: Newcastle 1-1 Chelsea (10/05/25)**
A feisty clash at St. James' Park saw Chelsea draw 1-1 with Newcastle United, with Cucurella and Joelinton both being sent off late into the game after goals from Alexander Isak and Palmer in the first half.
**Game eight: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester United (18/05/25)**
Chelsea failed to win for the third game in a row in the simulation, with Manchester United holding the Blues to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
**Game nine: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Chelsea (25/05/25)**
On the final day of the season, Chelsea fell to defeat in a huge clash with Nottingham Forest, with the 2-1 loss at the City Ground meaning Maresca's side won just once in the last six games.
In the final nine games of the season, Chelsea won four, drew three and lost two, ending the Premier League campaign with 64 points. Unfortunately, the loss to Forest on the final day meant that the Blues missed out on a spot in the Champions League, with Chelsea finishing sixth in the table, one point behind Newcastle in fifth and two points behind Manchester City in fourth.
A sixth-placed finish would guarantee Europa League football, but Maresca's side also won the Conference League in the simulation, offering the same qualification.