Gary Neville believes Chelsea have the quality to finish inside the Premier League’s top five and secure a Champions League spot next season.
After Chelsea’s loss to Arsenal on Super Sunday, Liam Rosenior’s side sit sixth with ten matches left, three points behind Liverpool and six behind Manchester United and Aston Villa. Chelsea still face those rivals in upcoming fixtures, and they also have Champions League and FA Cup ties to manage late in the campaign.
On The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville forecasted Manchester United to finish third, Liverpool fourth and Chelsea fifth, while saying he hopes Villa can also make the top five. He pointed to Chelsea’s recent injury troubles—especially in midfield—as a key reason for their uneven form, but suggested that Rosenior’s experience could help the team recover if injured players return.
Neville described Chelsea as a Jekyll-and-Hyde team: capable of looking naive and undisciplined one minute and electric and purposeful the next. He felt their first half against Arsenal showed too little forward intent, but he praised the more aggressive second-half display, highlighting strong forward runs from Hato, quality deliveries from Reece James and progressive play from Enzo Fernández alongside Joao Pedro.
Despite their inconsistency, Neville argued Chelsea are close to being genuine contenders, provided they strengthen in three areas: a top-class goalkeeper, an experienced centre-back and a seasoned centre-forward to support—rather than replace—Joao Pedro and Delap. He warned that injuries and the burden of competing on multiple fronts will shape the battle for Champions League places, leaving teams like Villa and Chelsea somewhat vulnerable.
Neville also lauded Manchester United striker Benjamin Šeško after United’s comeback win over Crystal Palace. Šeško, who had five goals in seven league outings before earning a first start under Michael Carrick, scored the winner and has produced a string of varied, impressive finishes. Neville described his form as potentially transformative for United and stressed how valuable it is when new signings can make an immediate impact.