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Chelsea
Predicted position: 5th
Antonio Conte's side has been unable to replicate the success they were capable of this season. Having loaned Batshuayi out to Dortmund in January, Chelsea bought Olivier Giroud as their back-up striker. Alvaro Morata, the team's number 9, has lacked goals this season. Out of the top six clubs, Chelsea has scored the least number of goals as of February 2018. The lack of goals scored meant that Chelsea were losing out on many occasions to win the game. With such a close fight at this stage, goal difference is starting to make a difference.
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Their inconsistency this season has seen them lost to Bournemouth and Watford. However, with the saviour, Eden Hazard, Chelsea can try to find some form among themselves. Hazard scored a brace against West Brom to secure a victory for the Londoners and it will be hard for Chelsea to keep hold of him come next season. This inconsistency disfavours the team as it causes them to lose confidence in battles against lower ranked teams.
Chelsea face an uphill battle of advancing any further in the Champions League this season as they will face Barcelona in the round of 16. The team still have 4 more matches against top six clubs which makes things even harder for them to qualify for Champions League this season if they continue with the trend.
Chelsea have been far too reliant on Eden Hazard just like Liverpool on Salah, but Hazard is not Chelsea's main striker. While he can pull strings in the midfield, Chelsea nevertheless has to involve their strikers to bring in the goals and win games. In order to maintain their position in the top four standings, Chelsea has to show that they can start a winning streak. Given that Chelsea will be facing a number of high ranking teams, it can be damaging to their confidence and Conte's side may not play as well as they should.
Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United seem to have a stronger team than Chelsea. This makes it extremely likely that the Blues will drop out of Champions League qualifying positions this season.
