Chelsea are experiencing one of their worst seasons in Premier League history as they keep falling down the table.
Despite spending more than £500 million across the summer 2022 and winter 2023 transfer windows, the Blues cannot seem to find the solution to their problems.
Their poor results have persisted under three managers: Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and interim manager Frank Lampard as Chelsea find themselves close to the relegation battle.
With Chelsea struggling under Lampard, The Sporting News looks at potential scenarios in Chelsea's final matches that could lead to a complicated end to the 2022/23 season.
Premier League table: The bottom 10
*Standings correct as of May 13, 2023
| Pos | Team | Points | Matches Played |
Goals Scored |
Goal Difference |
Next Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | Chelsea | 43 | 35 | 36 | -5 | @ MCI, May 21 |
| 12. | Crystal Palace | 43 | 36 | 37 | -9 | @ FUL, May 20 |
| 13. | Wolves | 40 | 36 | 30 | -22 | vs. EVE, May 20 |
| 14. | Bournemouth | 39 | 36 | 37 | -32 | vs. MUN, May 20 |
| 15. | West Ham | 37 | 35 | 38 | -12 | @ BRE, May 14 |
| 16. | Nott'm Forest | 34 | 36 | 36 | -31 | vs. ARS, May 20 |
| 17. | Everton | 32 | 35 | 32 | -21 | vs. MCI, May 14 |
| 18. | Leeds United | 31 | 36 | 46 | -25 | @ WHU, May 21 |
| 19. | Leicester City | 30 | 35 | 49 | -15 | vs. LIV, May 15 |
| 20. | Southampton - R | 24 | 36 | 31 | -35 | @ BRI, May 21 |
The Sporting News looks at how Chelsea's season could end if they lose all of their remaining games.
MORE: Why doesn't Christian Pulisic start regularly for Chelsea?
Can Chelsea get relegated?
Happily for Chelsea fans, they cannot be relegated following their 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth on May 13 – although supporters may not feel that is much to crow about after drawing with a team who were promoted the previous season and have spent much of the campaign struggling to move clear of the bottom three.
The result meant Chelsea remained 12 points above the relegation zone with three games of their season remaining. None of the three teams in the drop zone, who have a maximum of three matches to play, can mathematically catch Lampard's side.
Chelsea remaining fixtures 2022/23
| Opponent (Home/Away) |
Date | Opponent's league position* |
|---|---|---|
| Man City (A) | Sun, May 21 | 1st |
| Man United (A) | Thu, May 25 | 4th |
| Newcastle (H) | Sun, May 28 | 3rd |
*League position as of May 13
Last time Chelsea were relegated
Chelsea's relegation nightmare is unimaginable for many people, but it is not something they have been immune to in the past.
During the 1987/88 season, Chelsea finished 18th in the old English First Division, and were therefore relegated along with Portsmouth and Watford. They were then managed by John Hollins and Bobby Campbell that season, and made it to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Since the introduction of the Premier League in 1992, the lowest Chelsea have finished is 14th place under Glenn Hoddle during the 1993/94 season. There is a good chance they could finish lower than that this year.
What happened to Chelsea?
There have been many contributing factors to Chelsea's poor season, which is why a quick fix is unlikely in the summer. It starts with injuries to key players like Thiago Silva, Mason Mount, N'Golo Kante, and Christian Pulisic.
What's been most glaring is that Tuchel, Potter, and now Lampard have failed to get the team scoring goals. But there is only so much a manager can help with. The Blues have done well to get the ball into the box, but their finishing has been very disappointing. Kai Havertz is their top scorer in the league with seven goals.
Todd Boehly's ownership methods have also come under question. Thiago Silva came out and spoke about the problems caused by the new leadership, including the bloated squad. Chelsea had to increase the size of their dressing room just to accommodate all their new signings in January.
It can also be argued that Tuchel and Potter were not given enough time to adjust to their new squads. Tuchel perhaps deserved more time after winning the club a UEFA Champions League, but Boehly and the board are looking to the future now.