'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent has said that he has been 'shocked' by Chelsea's start to the season so far.
The Blues finished a lowly 12th in the Premier League last term after a harrowing campaign thta saw them change their head coach thrice. Eventually, caretaker Frank Lampard was replaced by Mauricio Pochettino before the start of the new season.
'Poch' is known to give youngsters a chance, and that goes hand-in-hand with the club's objectives under Todd Boehly's ownership. They have focussed on bringing down the average age of the squad drastically by replacing experienced players with significantly younger options.
However, the results aren't showing on the pitch despite the club spending nearly £450 million on transfers this summer. They're currently 12th in the standings with just four points from four games.
While discussing the surprise team of the season, Bent said on Sky Sports:
"From my perspective, surprise would probably be Chelsea. I thought they'd be a lot better. They've shocked me how poor they've been. When they brought in Pochettino, with the amount of players that they've signed, I really expected them to be kind of pushing, not pushing Manchester City for the league, but certainly up there competing for the top four.
"And the fact that they are so far off it and the performances they have put in, that's really surprising. Once they got the manager in, Pochettino, who knows how to build new squads, the success that he had at Spurs, I just thought that he would be the. almost the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle."
Chelsea haven't missed out on the top four in back-to-back seasons since the 2001-02 campaign.
Chelsea's start to the season so far under Mauricio Pochettino
The Blues started Mauricio Pochettino's reign with an impressive 1-1 draw against Liverpool in the league at Stamford Bridge.
The result wasn't what they would have been hoping for, but they took the game to the Reds and were dominant, especially after going behind. They followed that up with a 3-1 defeat toWest Ham United at the London Stadium.
Their next two games saw them beat newly promoted Luton Town 3-0 in the league and AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Cup 2-1, but these were games Chelsea were expected to win.
Their most recent result was perhaps their most surprising one under Pochettino. Nottingham Forest beat them 1-0 in the Premier League at the Bridge, thanks to a goal from Anthony Elanga.
This was the Tricky Trees' first win against the Blues in any competition since January 1997. Chelsea have won just two out of their last 16 games in the Premier League.
