"I would still far prefer to be in Chelsea's position" - Pat Nevin comments on the top four race Thomas Tuchel's side are embroiled in

Chelsea initially looked immune from the dramatic battle for fourth spot in the Premier League this season. However, following a bad run of results, they now find themselves competing in the same bracket. The Blues are currently third in the points table with a total of 66 points from 34 games.

The third spot that looked nailed at one point could now be under threat from the Blues' London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners are behind Chelsea in fourth place with 63 points from 34 games while the Lilywhites are fifth with 61 points.

Former Blues player Pat Nevin admitted in his column on the club's official website that there is some sort of tension surrounding Stamford Bridge. He wrote:

"Right now at the Bridge after the defeat away to Everton and the recent home loss against Arsenal, there is the odd nervous look over our shoulders at the Gunners and Spurs, as they both make late runs to try to pip us at the post for a top-four spot."

However, the 58-year-old believes that Chelsea are still in an advantageous position, much to his liking. He is confident that they will be able to finish third, albeit by a slight margin. He added:

"I would still far prefer to be in Chelsea’s position than theirs but there is no doubt our north London neighbours both have a whiff of hope in their nostrils. It may well be that we only win this particular race by a nose, but I reckon we would put up with that when everything is considered."

The slump in form for Thomas Tuchel's side started in April when they lost 4-1 to Brentford at home. Then a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals followed. The west London club recently dropped points after defeats to Arsenal and Everton and a draw to Manchester United.

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Nevin believes everyone at Chelsea has their eyes set on the new ownership

The Blues could reportedly announce their new owners by the end of May. The consortium, led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, is the preferred bidder to secure the deal. However, a report from the Irish Times suggests that Roman Abrahmovich has taken a U-turn on his earlier decision to relax Chelsea's loan worth £1.6 bn. This puts the sale of the club in major doubt and could delay the process.

Nevin wrote in his column that getting the correct owner is the bigger prize that the Blues faithful are looking forward to. He wrote:

"Most of the time just now everyone at the club has their eyes trained on a much bigger and longer-term prize up front. The new ownership race is the most important thing in the long term for the football club and we all know that backing the ‘right’ horse in this one is what we really need to keep our eyes on."