Arsenal icon Paul Merson believes Chelsea have “no chance” of getting a result in their FA Cup replay at Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
The Villans have been outstanding at home under Unai Emery and have given themselves a decent chance of progressing in the FA Cup after drawing their fourth-round tie with Chelsea 0-0 at Stamford Bridge.
The replay under the lights at Villa Park will be a huge test for the Blues, who fell to 11th in the Premier League after Sunday’s woeful 4-2 defeat at home to Wolves.
It has been another horrendous season for Chelsea, whose fortunes have not changed for the better since Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival.
The Londoners do have a Carabao Cup final to look forward to, but should they lose to Liverpool at Wembley, the pressure might become too much for the former Tottenham manager.
With over £1billion spent in three transfer windows under the co-ownership of Todd Boehly, Chelsea have managed to win only 20 of their 61 Premier League clashes in the last 18 months.
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Excluding relegated and promoted clubs, only five teams have accumulated fewer points since the start of the 2022/23 season.
It has been an awful period and after the Wolves result, Pochettino – who is second in the Premier League sack race – and the players were booed by the home fans, who chanted the name of former owner Roman Abramovich.
Chelsea fan and former Arsenal midfielder Merson does not think Pochettino’s side will be able to advance in the FA Cup against Villa, which will make their season go from bad to worse.
Merson believes the Blues don’t look like a team and it is definitely a case of quantity over quality in their squad.
“It was bad against Liverpool but it got worse against Wolves,” he wrote in his Sky Sports column. “Losing 4-2 at home – no disrespect to Wolves – is not acceptable for Chelsea.
“I started supporting Chelsea at age five. My first game was 50 years ago. I can’t remember us getting beaten conceding four twice in a row and, believe me, when I was growing up supporting Chelsea, we weren’t great. There are too many players that are not good enough.
“Chelsea aren’t a team. I don’t know what the team will be on Wednesday night against Aston Villa. You know Arsenal or Liverpool will make one, maybe two changes, but with Chelsea, you just don’t know what the team will be.
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“Mauricio Pochettino has too many options but he hasn’t got too many good players. You have got two players in the middle of the park, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, that cost over £200m. For that price, they should be dictating the game.
“I can’t believe what’s happened and how quickly it’s turned. Chelsea were one of the top teams. I dread to think how long it was they went without losing at home.
“I don’t give Chelsea a chance on Wednesday night, not even a chance. That can’t be right. When was the last time I ever said that as a Chelsea fan? It was only a few years ago that the other team would have no chance against Chelsea. Everyone would be surprised if they won that game.
“There might be a bit of brilliance from Cole Palmer to win it but that will cover over the cracks.”
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