Frank Leboeuf has gone very bold when predicting which position Chelsea will finish in the Premier League this season.
It was a horror campaign for the Blues last year, who finished 12th in the league table on just 44 points.
Nobody is surprised to see wholesale changes at Stamford Bridge this summer, which includes the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as the new Blues head coach. They’re currently conducting an overhaul of the squad in the transfer window, too.
It definitely feels like Pochettino’s new-look Chelsea are one of the biggest unknowns going into the new league season.
ESPN pundit Leboeuf has been extremely favourable by predicting Chelsea, who he used to play for, to finish second in the league behind Arsenal.
He’s tipped Arsenal to dethrone Manchester City as the champions, putting Pep Guardiola’s current holders in a surprise third spot. He finished off his top six with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester United in that order.
“Don’t tell me that Chelsea don’t have the players to finish second. Without having a European campaign, I really believe it’s possible, like it happened with the Gunners,” Leboeuf told ESPN.
“I think [Manchester] City could have an off-season after the treble… I don’t like my prediction because I see the Gunners finishing first… I have question marks about Liverpool. I don’t know how [Jurgen] Klopp is going to play.”
We’re always likely to be optimistic and bias towards everything Chelsea do, but even we’re a little shocked by a second-placed prediction.
In our view, a top-four finish would be a superb achievement for Pochettino when you look at what he’s taken charge of.
Jamie Carragher has predicted Chelsea to finish fifth in the new season, via The Overlap.
Michael Owen agreed on Twitter that Chelsea are heading for fifth in the Premier League during Pochettino’s first year in charge.
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