Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher has dismissed Chelsea’s chances of winning the Premier League, insisting he never saw them as genuine contenders. According to Carragher, the presence of first-choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and striker Nicolas Jackson is a major weakness, as neither player is at the required level to push Chelsea to the summit of English football.
Earlier in the season, Chelsea showed glimpses of a potential title challenge, raising hopes among fans. However, their form has dipped significantly over the past two months, causing them to fall out of the race entirely.
With the team now sitting 13 points behind league leaders Liverpool—who still have a game in hand against Everton on Wednesday—Chelsea’s primary focus has shifted toward securing Champions League football for next season.
Managed by Enzo Maresca, Chelsea currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League, maintaining a narrow two-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City. Carragher believes that failing to qualify for the Champions League for another year would be a massive setback for the club, labeling it a potential “disaster.”
The former Reds defender has been vocal about his disappointment in Chelsea’s recent struggles but made it clear that he never viewed them as serious title contenders. He pointed to the inconsistency of Sanchez in goal and Jackson’s underwhelming goal return as key reasons why Chelsea cannot realistically compete at the very top.
Sanchez had been responsible for more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper before Maresca eventually decided to drop him. Meanwhile, Jackson has struggled to find the back of the net, managing just one goal since the beginning of December.
Speaking on The Overlap US, Carragher analyzed Chelsea’s current situation at Stamford Bridge, stating: “For a while, it seemed like the project was coming together, results were improving, and there was some momentum. But I never truly believed Chelsea had what it takes to go all the way and win the title.”
Chelsea have suffered a huge drop-off under Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty)
‘There was a game where they could have gone top of the league. It looked like it was falling into place and I thought they could make it a three-horse race for the title with Liverpool and Arsenal.
‘But I’ve got to say I’ve been really disappointed with them. I never thought they could win the league at any stage because of the goalkeeper and the entre forward, they’re not at the level. The centre-backs are not at the level either.
‘But this drop-off will be a real worry for the people at the top of the club. If they don’t get Champions League football next season, having been there for a couple of years and spent that amount of money, that’s a disaster.
‘They went out of the Carabao Cup really early, now they’re out of the FA Cup.
‘You have to remember Chelsea have been a winning machine for about 20 years. They’ve not gone two or three years without a trophy and the supporters aren’t used to it.
‘I think real questions will be asked of the hierarchy if they don’t get Champions League football because you can’t really accept it.’
As Carragher said, Chelsea were recently knocked out of the FA Cup, losing 2-1 to Brighton after taking an early lead.
Chelsea return to Premier League action against the same opposition on Friday night as they look to consolidate a place in the top-four.
£32m signing Jackson missed the FA Cup clash through injury but is expected to return on Friday against a Brighton team hoping to climb up the Premier League table.