Chelsea are currently 11th in the Premier League table and 19 points behind fourth place.
Nevertheless, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is refusing to rule out the possibility of Chelsea overtaking his side and finishing in the top four. BirminghamLive shared his words following Villa’s 3-2 win against Luton Town on Saturday.
Chelsea are having a poor season, also losing the Carabao Cup final to rivals Liverpool.
However, it seems that Emery is not writing them off yet and thinks anything is possible.
According to journalist David Ornstein, despite their struggles this term, Chelsea still want to move forward with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.
Chelsea still in top four race
According to Emery, Chelsea are still contenders for the final Champions League spot.
Speaking after Villa’s game on Saturday, the Spaniard said: “I can’t rule Tottenham, Man United, even Chelsea or Newcastle out of the possibility to get us. And I want to send the same message.
“Until game 32, 33 or 34 we are going to try to focus on each match and get as many points as we can. We are not contenders until we are there.”
Chelsea will not finish in the top four
Emery can say whatever he wants, but there is just no way that Chelsea are going to qualify for the Champions League.
It is a 19-point gap they need to recover, which just seems impossible given their inconsistency.
Even qualifying for the Europa League seems unlikely, though Chelsea have two routes into that competition.
A fifth or sixth place finish or success in the FA Cup would see Pochettino’s men enter the competition next term.
They are only a game away from reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup, so they are not far from the trophy. But Chelsea’s record at Wembley has been shocking recently. They have already lost there once this season against Liverpool and were also defeated there twice by Jurgen Klopp’s men in 2022.
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