Chelsea and Enzo Maresca receive major boost after UEFA development

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Chelsea are in the mix of a fascinating race between a number of sides around the top four of the Premier League.

The Blues currently sit fourth on goal difference, and while only four points behind Nottingham Forest, have Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa chasing them down.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	31	22	7	2	72	30	42	73
2	ArsenalArsenal	31	17	11	3	56	26	30	62
3	Nottm ForestNottingham Forest	31	17	6	8	51	37	14	57
4	ChelseaChelsea	31	15	8	8	54	37	17	53
5	NewcastleNewcastle	30	16	5	9	52	39	13	53
6	Man CityManchester City	31	15	7	9	57	40	17	52
7	Aston VillaAston Villa	31	14	9	8	46	46	0	51

Enzo Maresca is likely to remain safe in his role as manager no matter where Chelsea finish this season, with it being claimed that the club see Maresca as ‘untouchable’.

Back in September though, it was reported that there was a soft target for Maresca to finish in the top four, which would see them return to Champions League football.

The Blues have not featured amongst Europe’s elite since going out of the competition to Real Madrid in 2022, with them instead having to settle for Conference League football this year.

Chelsea handed boost as five English Champions League teams confirmed

For a side that boasts players with the quality of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, they simply cannot spend too long away from the Champions League before those top individuals look to play football at that level for another club.

It is going to need to be a huge effort from the Blues in the final seven Premier League games of the season, however they have been handed a boost as a result of Arsenal’s dominant victory over Madrid.

As per ESPN, the win for an English side has officially seen them reach the threshold for having five clubs qualify for the Champions League via the Premier League.

The Blues will face Newcastle and Forest in their run in from now until the end of the season, with it feeling like at least one of those games is a must-win if they are to acheive their goals in this campaign.

Champions League crucial for Chelsea’s transfer plans

Chelsea are planning for another busy summer transfer window as they look to plug the gaps that have become very apparent in Maresca’s first campaign at the club.

However, the magnitude of target they are able to attract could differ based on what level of European football they are able to play next season.

Targets such as Benjamin Sesko and Liam Delap are high on the list at Stamford Bridge, however it has already been reported that Delap wants Champions League football.

With clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool mentioned as potential suitors to those players amongst a number of other Chelsea targets, they could find themselves missing out on some of those names if they don’t finish in the top five this season.