Chris Sutton has warned Chelsea fans that it is ‘difficult to see’ the club ‘challenging at the top of the table’ under Mauricio Pochettino next season. The former Tottenham boss is expected to be announced as Chelsea’s new head coach imminently, following a full agreement between the two parties. Despite this, Sutton is not convinced that Chelsea will be able to challenge for the title next season, due to their ’embarrassing’ 2022-23 campaign which has seen them finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table despite spending over £600m on players since the summer. Michael Owen, however, is more optimistic and believes that Chelsea will return to the Premier League top four next season, although he admits they must trim down the size of their squad. He suggests that by getting rid of half a dozen players and focusing on a smaller pool, Chelsea will be able to do well next season.