{"id":289538,"date":"2023-09-30T10:36:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T10:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/?p=289538"},"modified":"2023-09-30T10:36:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T10:36:06","slug":"we-simulated-the-rest-of-chelseas-season-to-see-just-how-bad-it-truly-could-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/soccer\/we-simulated-the-rest-of-chelseas-season-to-see-just-how-bad-it-truly-could-get\/","title":{"rendered":"We simulated the rest of Chelsea’s season to see just how bad it truly could get"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    After a shaky start to the 2023\/24 season, Chelsea fans will be wondering what it would take for the Blues to return to being the winning side they know and love.<\/p>\n

    Chelsea have picked up a staggering eight wins in 36 games in 2023 so far, with just five of those coming in the Premier League with the Blues possessing one of the worst records in the Premier League for the calendar year. Despite splashing over \u00a31 billion on new signings in three transfer windows since Todd Boehly's arrival, the Blues have yet to produce any performance on the pitch worthy of their spending.<\/p>\n

    After a promising 1-1 draw with Liverpool on the opening day of the Premier League season, Chelsea have won just once in the league since, currently sitting 14th in the league table after six games and already nine points off the top four. Injuries haven't helped Mauricio Pochettino's situation, but with a fully fit squad at his disposal in the future, everything may start falling into place in the coming months.<\/p>\n

    READ MORE: Marcus Rashford 'buys \u00a3180k chauffeur-driven van' after Man Utd star's crash<\/b><\/p>\n

    READ MORE: <\/b>Chris Sutton locked himself in toilet to escape Martin Keown's wrath as 'all hell broke loose'<\/b><\/p>\n

    So, how could Chelsea perform throughout the remainder of the 2023\/24 season? We used Football Manager 2023 to simulate the season and find out – before Ben Chilwell was the latest talent to suffer a bad injury with a hamstring blow.<\/p>\n

    To complete this simulation, we updated the Premier League with the latest results and all the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions, and we then simulated until June 1, 2024 and these were the results.<\/p>\n

    The rest of Chelsea's 2023\/24 season simulated<\/h3>\n

    Chelsea's horrific start to the season continued all the way until the new year, with the Blues failing to produce any joy for fans around Christmas as they failed to win a game in December. On January 1, Chelsea sat 15th in the table and were very much in the relegation battle.<\/p>\n

    Pochettino's job never came under fire however, and as many players including Christopher Nkunku returned from injury and to full fitness, Chelsea started to pick up some wins. 20 in total to be exact at the end of the season, and despite surging up the table, the Blues missed out on a spot in Europe once again.<\/p>\n

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    20 wins, three draws and 15 losses saw Pochettino's side end the 2023\/24 campaign with 63 points, missing out on a spot in the Europa Conference League on goal difference to Spurs in seventh. Chelsea actually went 12 games unbeaten at the end of the season as Pochettino won manager of the month in April, with Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson all starring in attack for the Blues.<\/p>\n

    The surprise package of the season was Aston Villa who sat around the top of the table for large parts of the season, and despite a poor end to the campaign, Unai Emery's side claimed a spot in the Champions League for the following campaign. Despite Chelsea's current poor form, they have managed to pick up two wins in the Carabao Cup.<\/p>\n

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    But, their Carabao Cup journey came to an end in the quarter-final in the simulation, with the Blues losing 2-0 to Liverpool after beating Blackburn Rovers 3-0 in the previous round. Wins against MK Dons and Norwich City saw Chelsea reach the fifth round of the FA Cup, but Pochettino's side were stunned by a late comeback as Sheffield United won 2-0.<\/p>\n

    At the end of the 2023\/24 season, Football Manager 2023 put together an overall best Chelsea XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics. This is what it looked like:<\/p>\n

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    Full Chelsea best XI: (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell;<\/i> <\/b> Caicedo, Fernandez; Sterling, Nkunku, Mudryk; Jackson.<\/i> <\/b><\/p>\n

    Chelsea captain Reece James failed to make the best XI after another injury-plagues campaign, with the defender tallying just 13 appearances in all competitions. Enzo Fernandez joined Moises Caicedo in a midfield pivot as Conor Gallagher missed out, and Nkunku slotted into the attacking midfielder role after his return to fitness, with Mykhailo Mudryk also finding his feet in the second half of the campaign to make the best XI.<\/p>\n

    Overall, FM23 predicts that Chelsea's misery could continue for a little while, but with more time and key players returning from injury, the Blues could end the season as one of the most in-form sides in the league. European football went begging once again, but it appears that this youthful side may just need more time to gel before results are produced consistently.<\/p>\n