Cesc Fabregas has not ruled out the possibility of Chelsea challenging for the Premier League title next season. It may seem far-fetched, given Chelsea's position in the table this year, but the former Blues midfielder thinks it could happen.
Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by Arsenal on Tuesday night - comfortably so - with Arsenal flexing their Premier League title muscle this season in the process. The Gunners went back to the top of the table with the three points, while Chelsea have not picked up a single point under interim boss Frank Lampard in six attempts.
The Blues sit 12th in the table, crazily just nine points above the relegation zone after a disastrous season in which they have gone through three head coaches.
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Fabregas, a former Arsenal player too of course, was in the Sky Sports studio for the big London derby on Tuesday night. And amongst all the chat about Mauricio Pochettino seemingly coming into the club at the end of the season to take over, Fabregas mad a bold Chelsea prediction.
The former midfielder does not think it is beyond the realms of possibility that Chelsea can challenge for the Premier League title next year. That's because he has first-hand experience of doing just that after a difficult campaign.
Fabregas said: "Let’s not forget something, six years ago we had a really bad season with Chelsea, we finished 10th, if I remember correctly. Jose Mourinho left, [Guus] Hiddink came, he started to play younger players - [Ruben] Loftus-Cheek, [Andreas] Christiansen, Tammy Abraham - to give them experience for the next year.
"I remember in April they signed [Antonio] Conte, who came to the training ground, spoke to us individually, planned what he wanted to do with us to start afresh and next season we won the Premier League. Against [Pep] Guardiola, against [Jurgen] Klopp, against Mourinho at Manchester United. It’s not impossible.
"I know you’ll tell me there’s a lot of new players, it’s difficult, but this happened six years ago and I was there - I lived it. If you bring someone in with experience, with the character, who can put everyone together, who can give clear ideas of what he wants to do and works hard to bring everyone on board, it is doable."
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