The Athletic’s journalist Adam Crafton has underlined the high expectations surrounding Chelsea this season, insisting that finishing outside the top four would be a major disappointment given the club’s heavy investment.

Speaking on Chelsea’s current position, Crafton stressed that the Blues simply cannot afford to fall behind teams with smaller budgets.

“Chelsea just shouldn’t be finishing below Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. As well as those teams have performed, with the level of investment that Chelsea have made, I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the owners to have expected Enzo Maresca to do better.”

With Chelsea currently sixth in the Premier League on 43 points from 25 matches, Crafton believes that given their strong position earlier in the season, anything less than a Champions League spot would be a failure.

“Given the position they were in during November and at the start of December, they have got to finish in the Champions League spots. It is a bit of a disaster if they end up sixth.”

With pressure mounting on Maresca, Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures will be crucial in determining whether they can salvage a top-four finish or risk falling short of expectations.