Gary Lineker may already be regretting his pre-season prediction about Chelsea just seven games in

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Gary Lineker’s pre-season prediction about Chelsea is already looking very interesting.

We’re now seven games into the Premier League campaign, and it’s been a positive start for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca, the new Blues manager, has quickly settled into the dugout. His side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table with 14 points from seven games.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LiverpoolLiverpool	7	6	0	1	13	2	11	18
2	Man CityManchester City	7	5	2	0	17	8	9	17
3	ArsenalArsenal	7	5	2	0	15	6	9	17
4	ChelseaChelsea	7	4	2	1	16	8	8	14
5	Aston VillaAston Villa	7	4	2	1	12	9	3	14
6	BrightonBrighton	7	3	3	1	13	10	3	12

During an interview with The Guardian this week, Marc Cucurella insisted Chelsea must finish in the top four. It’s worth adding that the club has gone back-to-back seasons without finishing in the Champions League spots.

• READ MORE: Craig Burley says what Chelsea must fix to finish in the Premier League’s top four

What Gary Lineker predicted in pre-season

Gary Lineker made a prediction about Chelsea before a ball was kicked this season that he may already be regretting. For what it’s worth, we don’t think he’s the only voice in the media that underestimated this squad of players.

In his Premier League predictions for the 2024/25 campaign, Lineker guessed Chelsea wouldn’t finish in the European positions.

When discussing Chelsea on The Rest Is Football in mid-August, Lineker said: “I can’t see how this way of running a football club can work. I might be proved wrong. Yes, they have brought some good players in but I think it’s going to be difficult for the new manager as well… I am going to say they miss out on European football.”

In fairness, it’s still quite early into the season and a lot can still change. But it feels like Maresca’s side are firmly in the hunt to finish in the top four, so securing at least a Europa League or Conference League position feels a safe bet.

The conversation could be very different in November break

Once this current international window finishes, Chelsea return with a very interesting set of fixtures before the November international break. Depending on the results, Lineker’s prediction could suddenly look a lot worse or a lot better.

Here is a look at the Blues’ upcoming league games:

This young Chelsea group can really prove its quality and potential in the next month. We’ve got no doubt they can hurt any team in the division with their attacking firepower, but can they tighten up defensively?