Cesc Fabregas did his best to offer any semblance of hope to Chelsea fans on Monday Night Football after the latest chapter in a truly shambolic season for the club.
The Blues lost their sixth consecutive game since Frank Lampard’s return as interim manager and Arsenal didn’t even have to play that well to win 3-1 at The Emirates Stadium.
It leaves the club in a lowly 12th position and level on points with Bournemouth, whom they play on Saturday in a midtable match-up. Who would have predicted that at the start of the season?
Fabregas was quick to remind Sky viewers, as well as fellow pundits Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink and Patrick Vieira, that things can change quickly at Stamford Bridge, citing his own experience in the mid-2010s. The ex-Arsenal captain was part of a side that won two Premier League titles either side of a 10th placed finish in 2015/16, a season in which Jose Mourinho was sacked.
Back then it was Antonio Conte who came in and turned things around. This time, it looks like it will be Mauricio Pochettino being handed the potentially poisoned chalice.
Fabregas isn’t wrong to suggest quick improvements can be made under Poch next season (how could it get any worse?) but it feels highly unlikely Chelsea will be challenging for a Premier League title anytime soon. It’s more likely that the Todd Boehly era experiences several more lows before highs are reached at Stamford Bridge again.
More must-reads: