The PL run in starts now!

The Premier League is heating up as we head into the final stretch of the 2023/24 season. It’s been a wild ride with lots of injuries, but it’s important for us fans to stick together during these tough times.

People are frustrated, and they’re pointing fingers in all directions, but no one really knows what’s causing all the problems. Some parts of the media are making things worse by blaming specific individuals without giving any context or explanation.

The crazy number of injuries this season has definitely made things challenging, especially without European football. Our team has improved as the season has gone on, but injuries in key positions have made progress feel like taking one step forward and two steps back.

Even with all the drama off the field, Chelsea still has work to do in both the Premier League and the FA Cup. Over the next 10 days, we’re facing Burnley, Man Utd, and Sheffield United, with two of those games happening at our home ground, Stamford Bridge. If we can pick up at least 6-7 points in those three games, it could really boost our chances of grabbing one of the remaining European spots.

Right now, Chelsea has 39 points with 11 games left to play. If we win all our remaining games, we could finish with a maximum of 72 points. But with our hopes of making the Champions League fading, we’re looking at the Europa League or even the Europa Conference League.

The points needed for those competitions are lower than for the Champions League. We’re currently 5 points off 7th place and 3 points off 8th place. Last season, you needed at least 60 points to break into the top 8, but it’s unlikely teams will need that many this time around.

For Chelsea to reach that 60-point mark, we’d need to win 7 of our remaining 11 games or win 6 and draw 3. Matches against teams like Brighton and West Ham are crucial—they’re like six-pointers because winning them would reduce the points we need to qualify for Europe.

In past seasons, the points needed for a top 8 finish varied. Until we know for sure if 8th place guarantees a spot in the Europa Conference League, it’s hard to set a target. Our focus should be on getting 58-60 points, but if that’s not enough for European football, then maybe this season is just a fluke.

But all these calculations could be thrown out the window if we win the FA Cup. The winners get a spot in the Europa League group stage, so that could change everything for us.

As for the Brighton game, it was supposed to be on April 20th, but it got postponed because of the FA Cup. We’re not sure when it’ll be rescheduled, but it could happen on April 30th or May 1st or 2nd, depending on other fixtures.

If we look at how we did in the reverse fixtures earlier this season, we’d add 14 points to our total, leaving us with 53 points overall. But since we dropped points against several teams, our home games are more important than ever. Six of our remaining eleven matches are at Stamford Bridge, and only two are against teams in the top half of the table.

So, there’s a lot riding on these next few games. We need to stay focused, support the team, and hope for the best as we aim for a European spot.