Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton believes missing Champions League qualification would be seen as a "disaster" by the owners.
Ahead of today's clash with Fulham, the Blues were sitting in sixth place on the Premier League table.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Sutton told the Daily Express: “They finished sixth last season, and they finished strongly under (Mauricio) Pochettino.
"While calling it a disaster may be strong, I think from the Chelsea owner’s perspective, that would be the way that they view it.
“They expected to make the next step this season and they’re in a real race.
"It’s really interesting that sort of race now for the Champions League spots, the top five because then you can even look at the likes of Fulham and Brighton, and if they have an amazing run towards the end of the season, then they’re in with a sniff.”