Mauricio Pochettino faces four key Premier League tasks before nightmare Chelsea run

It's safe to say it has not been an ideal start to the Premier League season for Chelsea. Between only recording one win in their opening five matches and a lengthy injury list that saw 12 players missing for their last outing against Bournemouth, the Blues have struggled to continue the momentum they developed in pre-season before Christopher Nkunku's injury.

There is little use paying attention to the Premier League table so early in the season, but even so, seeing the west London side sit 14th does not make for pretty reading. While lack of goals has diminished the prospect of some good performances, with five points recorded there is little to stave off the pressure that is surely gathering around the team from outside.

While problems persist — any team would be hit when the likes of Nkunku, Reece James and Moises Caicedo are removed from their player pool — opportunity remains for Chelsea. Mauricio Pochettino's side cannot simply expect to win but despite what could have been considered a kind start on paper, the Blues still have time before being tasked with any of last term's Champions League qualifiers.

That challenge will come after the October international break when Arsenal visit Stamford Bridge. Before that Chelsea will take on Aston Villa, Fulham and Burnley in the Premier League, in addition to Brighton in the Carabao Cup.

To find momentum, Chelsea will have to prove they can defeat sides in the top half of the table, something they only achieved once during 2022/23. The west London team were able to beat Villa away from home early in Graham Potter's tenure last term, but the Midlands side also spelled the end of his time with Chelsea when Ollie Watkins and John McGinn earned the team three points.

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