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#4 Chelsea FC (4th Place)
The defending champions have endured a tough second season under the reign of Antonio Conte. With their return to European football this season, their fragility and a lack of have been thoroughly exposed.
The unceremonious departure of their star forward, Diego Costa, thanks to a text message by the coach, coupled with the indifferent form of Alvaro Morata this season means that Chelsea has scored 7 fewer goals this season than at the same point last time around.
Their so-called "upgrade" over Nemanja Matic in Tiemoue Bakayako has failed to impress and up until the game against Brighton, the team has struggled in front of goal.
It isn't that Chelsea has played very badly this season. Eden Hazard has been in sparkling form this season, despite being injured at the start of the season. Their star stopper, Thibaut Courtois has the best record in the league, with just 16 goals conceded so far.
However, their problems are just a result of the team not pulling in the right direction. Unlike last season where the 3-4-3 worked like a charm, Conte hasn't found the right combination for the team yet and with the exception of Morata and Andreas Christensen, the new players have not contributed as much as expected.
With the odds stacked heavily against their favor in the UCL (they face Barcelona in the round of 16), the Carabao Cup and FA Cup seem their only realistic chances at silverware this season.
With a resurgent Liverpool and pre-season favorites Manchester United providing tough competition to Manchester City, expect the Blues to compete in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers next season.
Expected Points Tally: 75-80 points
