Chelsea 6/5 to finish above Arsenal in 2023/24 Premier League

James Wilson Updated: 21 Sep 23 11:36

Chelsea are given odds of 6/5 to finish above London rivals Arsenal in new manager Mauricio Pochettino's first Premier League season in charge of the Blues.

Enduring the worst Premier League campaign in the club's history last term, losing 16 matches to finish in 12th place, Chelsea will be desperate to make amends in the upcoming season under the auspices of incoming Argentine manager Pochettino.

Chelsea's woes last year were even more staggering considering the club's outlay of over £500m in the transfer market since American Todd Boehly's takeover last summer, with a total of 13 signings arriving over the past 12 months.

It was also a rather tumultuous season in the dugout, with three different managers - Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard - failing to put together a consistent run of results.

Former Spurs boss Pochettino has now taken up the mantle at Stamford Bridge, with the 51-year-old tasked with cultivating a sense of unity and cohesion amongst an extremely unsettled Chelsea squad that has been jumbled together courtesy of a rather scattergun approach to recruitment.

Despite the failures on the pitch and the chaotic nature of dealings off it, Chelsea still undoubtedly possess a squad with vast talent capable of competing at the top end of the Premier League ahead of the new season.

The Blues boast two of the best attacking full-backs in the league in Reece James and Ben Chilwell, a standout of Argentina's World Cup-winning squad in Enzo Fernandez in midfield, as well as real pace and verve in forward areas with latest signing Christopher Nkunku arriving from RB Leipzig with a lofty reputation.

How Chelsea will shape up under Pochettino will make for compelling viewing, with several players set for the exit door this summer with Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech having all agreed exits, whilst Mason Mount and Kai Havertz are also strongly linked with moves away from the club.

This makes the Blues one of the toughest teams to predict ahead of the new Premier League campaign. The upheaval could make for a difficult season of transition, but if Pochettino can get his side up to speed quickly they have the talent to emerge as a formidable force.

Chelsea will be especially keen to elevate themselves back above London rivals Arsenal next term, with Mikel Arteta's men finishing above the Blues last term for the first time in the last seven years. They are given odds of 6/5 to do so.